Where to put the period in verse 3:7?

Verse 3:7 is an interesting verse in the Quran that talks about how some verses in the Quran are direct and the foundation of the book, but other verses of the Quran are allegorical or multi-meaning. Interestingly, verse 3:7 itself can be interpreted in two different ways depending on where you put the period–(ie. where do you pause full stop before continuing)

One place to put the period:

[Quran 3:7] He sent down to you this scripture, containing straightforward verses—which constitute the essence of the scripture—as well as multiple-meaning or allegorical verses. Those who harbor doubts in their hearts will pursue the multiple-meaning verses to create confusion, and to extricate a certain meaning. None knows the true meaning thereof except GOD and those well founded in knowledge. [Period]. They say, “We believe in this—all of it comes from our Lord.” Only those who possess intelligence will take heed.

The other place you can put the period:

[Quran 3:7] He sent down to you this scripture, containing straightforward verses—which constitute the essence of the scripture—as well as multiple-meaning or allegorical verses. Those who harbor doubts in their hearts will pursue the multiple-meaning verses to create confusion, and to extricate a certain meaning. None knows the true meaning thereof except GOD. [Period]. And those well founded in knowledge they say, “We believe in this—all of it comes from our Lord.” Only those who possess intelligence will take heed.

These two locations of placing the period change the meaning/understanding of that verse itself. Either “no one knows the true meaning except God”, or “no one knows the true meaning except God and those well founded in knowledge”.

The Study Quran by Seyyed Nasr et al. highlights this:

And none know its interpretation save God and those firmly rooted in knowledge. They say, “We believe in it; all is from our Lord”: An alternate pause in the Arabic would yield the translation, “And none know its interpretation save God. And those firmly rooted in knowledge say, ‘We believe in it; all is from our Lord.’” This reading reserves all interpretation of the mutashābih to God; the firmly rooted (rāsikhūn) are then characterized merely by their faith in it. However, as the commentator al-Thaʿlabī points out, in practice all schools of thought interpret the entire Quran; despite declarations that only God knows the interpretation of mutashābih verses, they pass over no aspect of the Quran in silence, though degrees of uncertainty about their meanings remain. Some say this means, “We believe in the mutashābih, but only act by the muḥkam” (Ṭ).

However, I have recently encountered verses in the Quran that demonstrate that the correct understanding of 3:7 is the first one (none knows the true meaning except God and those with knowledge):

[Quran 29:41] The allegory (mathalu-مَثَلُ) of those who accept other masters beside GOD is that of the spider and her home; the flimsiest of all homes is the home of the spider, if they only knew.*

[Quran 29:42] GOD knows full well that whatever they worship besides Him are really nothing. He is the Almighty, the Most Wise.

[Quran 29:43] We cite these examples (al-mathalu-لۡأَمۡثَـٰلُ) for the people, and none appreciate them except the knowledgeable.*

Here, the Quran is citing an allegory of a spider at her home, saying it is flimsiest of all homes–and this is the allegory of those who take other masters beside God as a lord. But then, the Quran says the knowledgeable ones will understand this allegory! If we were to interpret 3:7 to mean “only God knows the correct interpretation of the allegorical verses”, then this directly contradicts verse 29:43 which says that God cites these allegories (mathalu) so that people with knowledge can understand them! Therefore those with knowledge can also understand those allegorical verses. Thus, the correct place to put the period in verse 3:7 is the first one: “none knows the true interpretation except God and those well founded in knowledge”.

* [Footnote on verse 29:43: It takes a knowledgeable person to know that the Black Widow spider kills her mate. The use of the feminine reference to the spider in 29:41 is thus significant. This is in addition to the fact that the spider web is physically very flimsy.]—-
in other words, the spider supports this home and mates, and in the end it gets eaten alive by the female– those who take up other lords beside God are also headed towards their destruction; their worship of idols will destroy their souls and their idols will abandon them (see verses 6:24, 6:94, 7:37, 28:75, 46:28) and their idols will disown them (see verses 11:21, 16:86, 16:87, 19:82, 29:25, 30:13, 35:14, 41:48), and their idols will even be their enemies/opponents (see 19:81-82), similar to what the female spider does to the male once she is mated.

Indeed, if there were verses whose true meaning were unascertainable by humans, then there would be no point for God to give them to us as a reminder.

Further Reading:

Multi-Meaning Verses

Straight Forward and Multiple Meaning or Allegorical Verses (3:7 – 3:9)

Disclaimer: These blogs are not meant to be authoritative for Submission, but instead, informal documentation of my evolving thoughts. I do not claim ‘truth’ to anything I say or write, even if I currently feel like it is likely true based on my current reasoning and knowledge–anything and everything I say is subject to revision or complete abandonment of the theories/concepts/thoughts discussed in any of these blogs. See the about this blog section. Join our discord server, where you can chat with us or ask any questions (there is frequent activity in the voice channels): Https://Discord.gg/Submission