Only interested in clarity and proof

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imam Al-Bukhari, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: Chapter: “Avoiding the use of tricks. And everybody will get the reward according to his intention in Imaan (belief) and other than it”.

Umar Ibn Al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:

“The reward of deeds depends upon the intentions, and every person will get the reward according to what he intended. So, whoever emigrates for Allaah and His Messenger, then his emigration will be for Allaah and His Messenger, and whoever emigrates to take a worldly benefit or for a woman to marry, then his emigration will be for what he emigrated for”. [Al-Bukhari 6953]

Imam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

“Trickery has no place in Ibaadaat or Mu’aamalaat. Thus, it is incumbent to approach matters through the appropriate places”. [1]

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

It is incumbent that the expression conveys the intended meaning through the appropriate terminology. Should the term be explicit or evident, the objective is achieved. However, if the term possesses dual interpretations-one valid and the other erroneous – the intended meaning must be clarified. In instances where the term suggests a flawed interpretation, it should only be employed with an explanation that mitigates any potential misunderstanding.

Furthermore, if the term may mislead certain listeners into grasping an incorrect meaning, it should not be used if it is known to carry such implications, as the primary aim of communication is clarity and understanding. If the term accurately reflects the intended meaning but some individuals remain unaware of its significance without any negligence on the speaker’s part, the responsibility lies with the listener, not the speaker”. [2]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

If the speaker falls short in his clarification and addresses the listener with vague terms that may encompass various interpretations, and the listener remains uncertain of the intended meaning; if this arises from the speaker’s inability, the listener is given from the speaker’s inability rather than his intent. If the speaker possesses the ability and he does not do so while it is obligated to him to do so, he gives the listener from his evil intent”. [3]

Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Truth is determined by its alignment with evidence, regardless of the number of supporters or detractors. It is not the truth that is measured by individuals; rather, individuals are measured by the truth. The mere aversion of those who disagree or the affection of those who agree does not indicate the validity or invalidity of a statement”. [4]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

Every individual among people may have their statements accepted or rejected, except for the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, due to affirmation of infallibility of the one who legislates. In contrast, others may possess deficiencies in knowledge and understanding that necessitate the evaluation of their statements against the Shariah”. [5]

Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him, said:

It is incumbent upon you to give detail and make a distinction, because unrestricted and general (statements) without clarification has indeed corrupted this existence (i.e. the world), and misguided the intellects and views in every era”.

Al-Allamah Salih Al-Fawzan, may Allah preserve him, commented:

There has to be a detailed explanation. The one who is not proficient in giving detail should keep quiet, because benefit is not acquired from his speech. And every time an error occurs, its cause is due to an absence of detailed explanation regarding truth and falsehood. There has to be detailed explanation and distinction and not to mix up.

Indeed, it may be that there is something of truth and falsehood in an opponent’s statement, so, all of it is neither deemed to be false nor truth; rather there has to be a distinction between its truth and falsehood. All of it is neither rejected nor accepted; rather a distinction is made regarding the truth and what is correct and the falsehood and error in it. And if you are not proficient in giving detail, then you should not enter into this field. [6]

[1]: An Excerpt from “Al-Hulalul Ibreeziyyah Min Ta’leeqaat Al-Baaziyyah Alaa Saheeh Al-Bukhaari’ 4/353. footnote 1”

[2] Ar-Radd Alaa Al-Bakri 702-703

[3] As-Sawaa’iq Al-Mussalah 2/503

[4] Naqd Al-Mantiq 263 by Shaikh Al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allah have mercy upon him.

[5] Al-Qawa’id Al-Muthlaa page 86 by Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him.

[6] An Excerpt from at-Ta’liqat Al-Mukhtasar Alaa Al-Qasidah An-Nuniyyah: 1/216. This Faa’idah was shared with us by Ustadh Abu Tasneem [Mushaf Al-Banghali – may Allah preserve him and his loved ones], mentioning to us that he read this from Al-Allamah Ubaid Ibn Abdillah Al-Jabiri, may Allah have mercy upon him, in one of his clarifications regarding some of the ambiguities of Dr Ibrahim Ar-Ruhayli, may Allah rectify his affair Amin.