40- The Stance of Ahl al-Sunnah Regarding Scholars Who Engage in Ta’wil
Those scholars who are well known for good intention, services to the religion, and following the Sunnah will be considered excused in a permissible ta’wil. However, even after accepting this excuse, this method of his will be regarded as contrary to the way of the righteous predecessors (the Salaf), because the way of the Salaf is that the texts are taken in their apparent meaning and sense, without specifying any manner (kayfiyyah) or likeness. This is because, just as it is necessary to distinguish between the statement and the one who states it, so too it is necessary to distinguish between the act and the one who does it. If a wrong statement comes out on account of ijtihad and good intention, the one who said it will not be condemned; rather, he will certainly receive the reward for his ijtihad. The proof for this is the saying of the Prophet ﷺ:
« إِذَا حَكَمَ الْحَاكِمُ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَصَابَ فَلَهُ أَجْرَانِ، وَإِذَا حَكَمَ فَاجْتَهَدَ ثُمَّ أَخْطَأَ فَلَهُ أَجْرٌ »
“When a judge gives a ruling and exercises ijtihad and is correct, he receives a double reward, and if he gives a ruling by ijtihad and cannot reach the correct decision, one reward will still be his.”
If this mistake of the mujtahid is treated as a blameworthy misguidance, the one who adopts which makes him deserving of reproach, then doing so is not correct. Regarding such a mujtahid, whose good intention, services to the religion, and following the Sunnah of the Messenger ﷺ are well known, if what is meant by his mistake is opposition to the correct view in a case of ignorance, and condemnation of him is not intended, then there is no harm, because such a man is not considered misguided in an absolute sense. The reason is that he adopted the correct means to reach the right view, but in terms of the outcome he will be described as having gone astray, because it is contrary to the truth.
