What is ta'wil (figurative interpretation)? What is permissible of it, and what is not permissible?

Another questioner : ...and what is permissible of it and what is not permissible of it; whether it is in the Qur'an or in the Sunnah?

The Shaykh : In our belief—we, the Salafis—there is no verse related to the greatest of the unseen, which is Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He), that is interpreted with ta'wil (figurative interpretation); all of it is without ta'wil (figurative interpretation) on the apparent meaning.

Another questioner : Is this related to the unseen?

The Shaykh : What is related to the unseen is the greatest of the unseen, which is Allah; I mean, I sense from your question, especially if it is reported from your cousin that the research is related to the divine attributes, otherwise we would prolong the topic. You specify the question if it is not this, or he specifies it...

Another questioner : As for what is within human capacity, I have no problem...

The Shaykh : The people of ta'wil (figurative interpretation) are, first of all, inconsistent; in some places they interpret, and in other places... they only explain; that is, they explain the text without ta'wil (figurative interpretation). Ta'wil (figurative interpretation) in their terminology is taking the text away from its apparent indication; this is ta'wil (figurative interpretation). And with this, they say: the original rule is not to interpret, and one only resorts to ta'wil (figurative interpretation) out of dire necessity; where the text cannot be understood without ta'wil (figurative interpretation). From this, it becomes apparent to the researcher in their beliefs that they are most inconsistent; sometimes they do not interpret, and sometimes they interpret. If they interpret, they are compelled to interpret what they did not interpret, and when they do not interpret, they are compelled not to interpret whenever they do interpret, and so on.
Take, for example, divine knowledge; this is undoubtedly an attribute of Allah's attributes. None of them dares to interpret divine knowledge, or divine power, or other attributes that are established with certainty; even though the motive for their interpretation of the verses and hadiths they did not interpret also drives them to interpret what they did not interpret. For example: = -- ... ... -- = and several verses say: Indeed, Allah (Mighty and Majestic) is All-Aware of everything. Divine knowledge and human knowledge; this is knowledge and this is knowledge; why is divine knowledge not interpreted as they interpret hearing and sight, and they interpret the hand, and they interpret istiwaa' (rising above the Throne), and so on? What they say in answer to not interpreting knowledge—for example—and power and will, the same is said regarding the verses or other attributes that came in verses and hadiths and they interpreted them. Therefore, the scholars of the Salaf say—and this is in reality a conclusive truth for the people of ta'wil (figurative interpretation), indeed the people of ta'til (denial of the divine attributes)—: regarding the attributes of Allah, what is said regarding the essence of Allah is said. What is said regarding the essence of Allah? The essence of Allah, considering that it is an essence that subsists by itself, or the Self-Subsisting, and it does not resemble essences; so we do not ask how the essence of Allah (Blessed and Exalted is He) is, at the same time we do not deny it, we believe in it. But are there essences or are there no essences? Of course, there are many other essences, all of them created. So if there is no doubt in establishing the existence of Allah as an essence, what is the problem then in establishing an attribute of Allah (Mighty and Majestic) as an attribute? Even though this attribute that we establish for Him is possessed by some of His creations. He said it about Adam, Who is this human? It is Adam (peace be upon him), so He said about him (the Exalted): , in the authentic hadith; so there is a sharing in the name, but there is no sharing in the reality of the attribute. So the hearing and sight of Allah is a reality subsisting by His true essence, not illusory, and this is an attribute, and that is "Hearing and Seeing," which does not resemble the attribute of that first human whom He made hearing and seeing. Likewise, say about all the divine attributes. So we have no need for ta'wil (figurative interpretation) at all. But they, due to their deviation from the Book and the Sunnah in some texts, assumed that the Salaf interpret some texts as they do with others. In reality, nothing of that is ever the case. So they, for example, bring a verse—for example—a verse related to Noah (peace be upon him) when he was hearing... what?

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes, but we need the verse; I mean, I say "our eyes" and "with our eyes."

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : ...What is the text of the verse?

Another questioner : The beginning... from which surah.

The Shaykh : The important thing is "with our eyes." They say all the scholars, meaning even our knowledge, what do these people of ta'wil (figurative interpretation) who interpreted other than this verse say?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes?

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Likewise ; yes, we interpret it with you as "with scientific presence," what do they say? This is ta'wil (figurative interpretation), this is not ta'wil (figurative interpretation), this is a style of the Arabic language that gives this meaning; as the Arab says: "I walked with the moon," the Arab does not mean, the Arab does not understand "I walked with the moon" to mean he put his hand in his hand and walked with him; no, but he means "it was with me," and his Arab companion understands "I walked with the moon": it was looking at me, but where is it? In the high sky, and I am on the earth. This is called ta'wil (figurative interpretation), and many verses they claim are ta'wil (figurative interpretation) and are not ta'wil (figurative interpretation), among the most famous of these verses.

Another questioner: Peace be upon you.

The Shaykh : And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah.
I mean, when they argue that there is ta'wil (figurative interpretation) in the Qur'an: , yes, how do they interpret? The answer, by their unanimous agreement, those who interpret and those who do not interpret, ta'wil (figurative interpretation) is taking the text away from the apparent meaning that comes to the mind first when one hears the text; he flees from this meaning; because it is false, here there is no departure, but here it does not come to the mind of the listener meaning its walls, meaning its trees, this is the Arabic style, this is how the Arabs lived, meaning its inhabitants, and on that basis this is not called ta'wil (figurative interpretation); because, and it is not called metaphor, this is its naming as metaphor, a later technical term, otherwise the Arabs did not know metaphor and reality, like the erected, raised, and genitive in grammar, and so on, these are technical terms.

The questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : Yes. But if we call this metaphor, and metaphor is a type of ta'wil (figurative interpretation), this does not fit with their saying... the chapter of ta'wil (figurative interpretation), rather it became ta'wil (figurative interpretation) when the reality is difficult, okay; what is the reality of this phrase: ? Its reality is not "ask its walls," but its reality is ask what? Its inhabitants who live in it, and likewise the caravan, and on that basis they do not call or compel the Salafis that you are interpreting: you interpret it as "with His knowledge."

The questioner: With His knowledge.

The Shaykh : Yes, correct, we say: with His knowledge, this is not ta'wil (figurative interpretation); because the context of the whole verse talks about what? Divine knowledge.
Yes?

The questioner : I say the verse is one knowledge.

The Shaykh : ... .

The questioner : .

Another questioner : Before, before, our Shaykh.

The Shaykh : Before what?

Another questioner : Before the verse.

Another questioner : .

Another questioner : .

The Shaykh: Perfect.

Another questioner : ...in the sky.

The Shaykh : So this all confirms.

Another questioner : ... .

Another questioner : It begins and ends with knowledge.

The Shaykh : This is not ta'wil (figurative interpretation); because the verse cannot be understood except with this apparent meaning; and it is with you with His knowledge.

The questioner : When there is a disagreement in the apparent meaning.

The Shaykh : The verse of our Master Musa (peace be upon him) with Pharaoh: meaning: with insight.

Another questioner : ... .

The Shaykh : No, knowledge is more precise than saying insight, meaning you are going to Pharaoh and I am with you with insight, what will he do to you...