What is the difference between the muhkam and the mutashabih?

The muhkam (perspicuous) is a word with a clear meaning, while the mutashabih (ambiguous) is that whose knowledge Allah alone possesses, or which requires clarification. Some scholars hold that the muhkam is what is known concerning its intent, or what bears only one interpretation, or what stands independently, and the mutashabih is the opposite. A Muslim acts upon the muhkam and submits to the mutashabih. Ihkam (perspicuity) and tashabuh (ambiguity) are also applied to the entire Qur’an; it is muhkam in its perfection and mutashabih in the similarity of its words and meanings.