The View of Metaphor in the Qur'an and Its Study
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The questioner:
And Honorable Shaykh, what is the ruling on the view of metaphor (majaz) in the Noble Qur'an, other than in the verses of the Names and Attributes? If some scholars, such as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) and others, have denied it, what is the response to those who write about it and study it in the departments of rhetoric?
The Shaykh:
Studying it is not the same as affirming it. If you study it, you know the arguments of its proponents, and there is no harm in that. Studying it is fine. What is forbidden is that you affirm it and say, "This is correct." That is what is forbidden. As for studying it, knowing it, knowing its origin, and knowing the people's statements about it, there is no harm. People study the doctrines, even the doctrines of the Jahmiyyah, the doctrines of the Mu'tazilah, and the doctrines of others; they read them and know them, and there is no harm in that.
The questioner:
Studying something is one thing, and approving of it and correcting it is another. There is no necessary connection between studying something and correcting it or affirming it.
The Shaykh:
No, it is not affirmation. It is not affirmation. It is study for the purpose of looking into it and knowing the doubt (shubhah) of those who hold it, and establishing this view only to be aware of it. There is no obstacle to that. There is no obstacle to studying it. The one who affirms this is sinful. Not everyone who studies it affirms it. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim studied it and knew it, and they did not refute it until they knew it and mastered it. There is no obstacle. There is absolutely no obstacle to studying it. The obstacle is in affirming it and believing in it; that is what is forbidden. Yes.
The questioner:
From the Shaykh's other [remarks].
The Shaykh:
And otherwise, how would you know that it is false if you have not studied it? You do not know that it is false until you study it. Look, yes.
And Honorable Shaykh, what is the ruling on the view of metaphor (majaz) in the Noble Qur'an, other than in the verses of the Names and Attributes? If some scholars, such as Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) and others, have denied it, what is the response to those who write about it and study it in the departments of rhetoric?
The Shaykh:
Studying it is not the same as affirming it. If you study it, you know the arguments of its proponents, and there is no harm in that. Studying it is fine. What is forbidden is that you affirm it and say, "This is correct." That is what is forbidden. As for studying it, knowing it, knowing its origin, and knowing the people's statements about it, there is no harm. People study the doctrines, even the doctrines of the Jahmiyyah, the doctrines of the Mu'tazilah, and the doctrines of others; they read them and know them, and there is no harm in that.
The questioner:
Studying something is one thing, and approving of it and correcting it is another. There is no necessary connection between studying something and correcting it or affirming it.
The Shaykh:
No, it is not affirmation. It is not affirmation. It is study for the purpose of looking into it and knowing the doubt (shubhah) of those who hold it, and establishing this view only to be aware of it. There is no obstacle to that. There is no obstacle to studying it. The one who affirms this is sinful. Not everyone who studies it affirms it. Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim studied it and knew it, and they did not refute it until they knew it and mastered it. There is no obstacle. There is absolutely no obstacle to studying it. The obstacle is in affirming it and believing in it; that is what is forbidden. Yes.
The questioner:
From the Shaykh's other [remarks].
The Shaykh:
And otherwise, how would you know that it is false if you have not studied it? You do not know that it is false until you study it. Look, yes.
Source
شرح بلوغ المرام من أدلة الأحكام [ صالح الفوزان ]، تابع باب الآنية - 1 — islamhouse.com (31:21)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.