'Mutashabihat' Ayas, are they similar or allegoric

As  Sura Al-Imran Ayat 7 (3:7) states, the Quranic Ayats can be considered to be of two broad categories. Ones which contain Hukum or orders and others which are termed as mutashabehat or Similar ones. The mutashabehat Ayats are further defined in 39:23 to be written ones, similar ones and repeated ones. So mutashabehat Ayats are those which are similar to one another and are repeated in Quran. They are not the Ayats containing confusions or abstractions, as some translations suggest. Mutashabeha means ‘similar’ in Quran such as Ayats 6:99 and 6:141 suggest, when they mention similar fruits.

The Ayat 3:7 states that the people who have crookedness in their hearts they follow what is similar to the Ayats and Al-Quran. Please carefully note that this Ayat states that these people do not follow the mutashabehat or Similar Ayats, instead they follow what is similar to these mutashabehat Ayats. Practically we observe that in some lectures on Quranic topics, the lecturer will read an Ayat or few Ayats from Al-Quran but then he will tell details related to these Ayats from other books.  The story being told will have some resemblance to the narration in these Ayats but it will not be purely from Quran. People who are fascinated with these stories which have some resemblance with Quranic Ayats, are said to be those who have crookedness in their hearts.

Those people with crookedness in their hearts will have fascination with these stories and in order to find Taweel or details they follow what would seem similar to the Quran. But those people who are established in Knowledge, they believe in all Ayats of Quran  and they do not seek fascination in finding Taweels of similar and repeated Ayats. they know that the details are only known to Allah, so nobody, no matter how great they are considered by people, would know the Taweel or interpretation. The Tafseers written by so called great scholars of yore, are just their personal opinions and beliefs.

Some even mistranslate the verse 3:7 to suggest that the Taweel is known by Allah and Rasikoon ul Ilm/(people established in knowledge). However, the period/mim (the stop sign) in the Ayat, after Allah clarifies that the Ayat means that the Taweel is only known to Allah and no one else.

3:7 هُوَ الَّذِي �£َنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ �£ُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَ�£ُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَ�£َمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَ�£ْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَ�£ْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا ۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا �£ُولُو الْ�£َلْبَابِ

It is He who has revealed Al-Kitab / The Book over you. In it are muhkamat / governing ayats / signs. They are the mother of Al-Kitab / The Book, and others are mutashabehat / resembling (ayats / signs). So in whose heart is deviation, they follow what resembles with it (Al-Quran) , seeking Fitna/captivation and its interpretation and no one knows its interpretation except Allah. Those who are stable in knowledge they say we believe with it, all is from the nearness of our Lord. And none remembers except those who posses the core (i.e. innermost part of anything).

39:23 اللَّهُ نَزَّلَ �£َحْسَنَ الْحَدِيثِ كِتَابًا مُّتَشَابِهًا مَّثَانِيَ تَقْشَعِرُّ مِنْهُ جُلُودُ الَّذِينَ يَخْشَوْنَ رَبَّهُمْ ثُمَّ تَلِينُ جُلُودُهُمْ وَقُلُوبُهُمْ إِلَىٰ ذِكْرِ اللَّهِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ هُدَى اللَّهِ يَهْدِي بِهِ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ

Allah has revealed the most beautiful Al-Hadees, as a book mutashabiha / resembling, repeating itself. Skin of those shiver for the fear of their Lord from it. Then their skin and their hearts soften towards the remembrance of Allah. That is the guidance of Allah. He guides whom He wills with it. And to whom He leaves astray so for him there is none from the guide.

In the Ayat 39:23, The mutashabehat Ayats are defined as written, similar and repeated and they are called the Ahsanul Hadees that is the most beautiful narration. These different narrations of different prophets and people are often repeated in Al-Quran and look similar. What is in Al-Quran is the most beautiful narration or Ahsanul Hadees which is revealed by Allah. However, what ever is in other books having similarity with Al-Quran narrations are not the best of narration. In fact those who get fascinated with the stories in other books having similarity with Al-Quran are said to have crookedness in their hearts.