What is meant by the interpretation of His saying, may He be exalted: "But no one knows its interpretation except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge," and is it its exegesis?

Scholars have differed on the meaning of "ta'wil" (interpretation/true meaning) in the verse "And no one knows its ta'wil except Allah and those firmly rooted in knowledge," and consequently, they have differed on the pause: whether it should be after "except Allah" or after "and those firmly rooted in knowledge."

1. The First View: The pause is after "except Allah." Here, "ta'wil" is interpreted to mean the true reality and essence of a thing, which no one knows except Allah. "And those firmly rooted in knowledge" is then an independent new sentence, meaning "They say, 'We believe in it.'" This view has been narrated from Ibn Abbas, Aisha, Urwah, and others.

2. The Second View: The pause is after "and those firmly rooted in knowledge." Here, "ta'wil" is interpreted to mean explanation and clarification. This indicates that those firmly rooted in knowledge know and understand the ta'wil (interpretation) of the ambiguous verses. This has been narrated from Ibn Abbas himself (in another statement), Mujahid, and Al-Rabi' bin Anas. Their statement "They say, 'We believe in it'" is understood as a circumstantial phrase describing those firmly rooted in knowledge.