A lot of times Balagha, Grammar, Linguistics, Dictionary meanings and all of that . . . it can give you stuff. . .
But at the end of the day.
Communication and language is also a language of emotion.
There are elements of emotion that words have great difficulty in capturing.
Now. I’ll give you a silly example to make the point, because silly examples get the points across.
As i teach kids in madrassah . . . i have some kids who are very big on making me proud . . .
Sometimes in class i’m thirsty . . .
So i’m just sitting there and i say to myself . . .
“I wish there was someone who’s so awesome and helpful in the world who would get me a cool refreshing glass of water (siggghhh).
That person would be sooo coool! I don’t even know if there’s anyone that cool”
And you get kids climbing over one another raising their arms
“ME! ME! ME! Ustad! I’ll GO!”
And i’m like woooww!! You’re the Amazing Cool Person?!
And the kids love that!
Sometimes, for example. After everyone’s learnt a particular surah, I again, talking to myself whilst the students are listening.
“Hmmm…Let me see who knows “A-lam tara . . .? I don’t know . . . i don’t think anybody knows it. oh nooo. what a disaster”
And the kids again “ME! ME! ME! i know iiittt!!”
Now here’s my point.
When i say “Let me see . . .?” Do i already know? Sure I do.
Actually so
es the question isn’t about the questioner.
It’s about the one being put to the test. Just so the tester could be proud of them.
The idea of the question ‘Let me see . . .?’ is not always about me not knowing.
It’s more like “Let me help you rise to the occasion” “Let me give you a reason so that i could be proud of you”
And that’s an expression of Love.
So when Allah says things like “لِنَعْلَمَ” ‘So that we may know’
Allah already knows. But it’s an expression of Love, and Allah wanting to raise you up. Hold you up high and show how proud he is of you.