45- The Types of Ta’til
Ta’til is of two types:
① The first type of ta’til is to deny and reject, and doing this is disbelief (kufr). For example, a man does not accept that Allah has risen above the Throne. This is denial and rejection, because Allah Almighty says:
الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى الْعَرْشِ اسْتَوَى
“The Most Merciful rose above the Throne.”
Whoever rejects any information given by Allah Almighty becomes a disbeliever.
② The second type of ta’til is ta’wil (interpretation), and it is a matter of disagreement among the people of knowledge whether the one who does this is to be called a disbeliever or not. For example, a man accepts that Allah has risen above the Throne, but he gives “istawa” the meaning of “overcame”, so this is called ta’wil, and the one who does this is not called a disbeliever.
This type of ta’til requires elaboration: the person who does this is an innovator (mubtadi’) and not a disbeliever, but sometimes, in the light of the evidences of the Shari’ah, he may also be a disbeliever.
