Linguistic wrote:
وقال بعضهم الآية لا تدل على الحصر في الشيئين إذ ليس فيها شيء من طرقه، وقد قال تعالى "لتبين للناس ما نزل إليهم"، والمحكم لا تتوقف معرفته على البيان، والمتشابه لا يرجى بيانه
Translation:
Some said the verse does not lead to the conclusion that verses are confined to only these two types, since it uses no words that imply confinement. God said, "So that you [, O Muhammad,] may clarify for people what has been sent down to them." (16:44). The "Muhkam" does not need clarification, and the "Mutashaabih" cannot be hoped to become clear.
I disagree with the last two arguments. Muhakam does not mean it cannot have details; it simply means that it is on solid ground, definite, under control. Also, Mutashaabih does not mean vague, mysterious or enigmatic; it simply means that it is indefinite, that it has multiple meanings, all of which are intended.
Thus, IMHO, 3:7 means, and God knows best, that the Quran has two types of verses: One type gives one meaning, whose details can be found in other verses and in the Sunna. This is the type referred to in
The other type carries multiple meanings, all of which are intended, thus restricting them to only one interpretation defeats their purpose.