The Sixth Principle
21 August 2024 • 1.26K views
Ambiguity is the cause of many misunderstandings.
Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allāh have mercy on him, said:
«وأما الألفاظ المجملة؛ فالكلام فيها بالنفي والإثبات دون الاستفصال يوقع في الجهل والضلال، والفتن والخبال والقيل والقال»
"As for ambiguous terms, discussing them with affirmation or negation without seeking clarification leads to ignorance, misguidance, discord, confusion, and pointless argumentation." [Minhāj As-Sunnah (2/217)]
Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allāh have mercy on him, said:
«إن هؤلاء المعارضين للكتاب والسنة بعقلياتهم -التي هي في الحقيقة جهليات-، إنما يبنون أمرهم في ذلك؛ على أقوال مشتبهة محتملة، تحتمل معاني متعددة، ويكون ما فيها من الاشتباه في المعنى، والإجمال في اللفظ ؛ يوجب تناولها بحق وباطل، فبما فيها من الحق: يقبل -من لم يُحِط بها علماً- ما فيها من الباطل، لأجل الاشتباه والالتباس. ثم يعارضون بما فيها من الباطل نصوص الأنبياء، وهذا منشأ ضلال من ضل من الأمم قبلنا، وهو منشأ البدع كلها ... فأصل ضلال بني آدم من الألفاظ المجملة، والمعاني المشتبهة، ولا سيما إذا صادفت أذهاناً مخبطة»
"Those who oppose the teachings of the Qur'ān and Sunnah with their own reasoning—reasoning that is, in reality, rooted in ignorance—base their views on statements that are ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations. The ambiguity in meaning and vagueness in wording allows these statements to be interpreted both rightly and wrongly. Because of the element of truth present, those who do not fully comprehend them may accept the falsehood mixed in, due to the confusion and lack of clarity. They then use the falsehood within these statements to oppose the clear texts of the Prophets. This is the origin of the misguidance of those who went astray before us, and it is the source of all innovations. The root cause of human error lies in ambiguous terms and unclear meanings, especially when they are encountered by confused minds." [Al-Sawa'iq al-Mursala (3/925)]
’Abdullaṭīf ibn ’Abdirraḥmān ibn Ḥasan, may Allāh have mercy on him, said:
«فإن الإجمال، والإطلاق، وعدم العلم بمعرفة موانع الخطاب، وتفاصيله؛ يحصل به شيء من اللبس والخطأ وعدم الفقه عن الله ما يُفسد الأديان، ويشتت الأذهان، ويحول بينها وبين فهم السنة والقرآن»
"Ambiguity, generalisation, and ignorance of the limitations of speech and its details, result in confusion, mistakes, and a lack of proper understanding of Allah’s message. This, in turn, leads to the corruption of religions, scattered thoughts, and prevents the correct comprehension of the Sunnah and the Qur'ān." [’Uyūn Ar-Rasā'il (1/166)]
Therefore, it is essential to provide detailed explanations for any issue addressed by the religious texts. Issuing judgments on actions without considering the specific details provided by the evidence is incorrect.
In light of this principle, consider the following...