Is interpreting the saying of Allah the Exalted, “On the Day when the Leg is uncovered,” as the Leg being uncovered to reveal severity and distress considered a blameworthy interpretation?

Mashhur: The Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) mentions in the *Fatwas* that despite his extensive review of many tafsirs, he did not find an interpretation by the righteous Salaf, specifically, except in the saying of Allah the Mighty and Majestic in Surat Nun: He and others mention this, and some attribute it, and al-Hafiz graded it as good, that it means severity and distress on the Day when severity and distress are uncovered. So my question is: Is this, first, from the category of the blameworthy interpretation known and defined by the Asha'irah in particular? And is this interpretation authentic from Ibn Abbas or any other of the Companions or Successors, that it is similar to this in the mentioned verse?

The Shaykh : Yes, it is authentic. But when we reject this interpretation that has reached my knowledge, we reject it as a rule and principle adopted by the exegetes of the verses and the explainers of the hadiths of the attributes. However, if an interpreter interprets a certain verse or hadith because he did not come across a text, whether from the Book of Allah or from the hadith of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), that prevents him from that interpretation, then if he did not come across it, he is excused. Because in reality, we cannot absolutely reject interpretation. We cannot reject it. And of course, I say this on the assumption that I am an Arabized person and not originally Arab, so it is not strange that it should be authentic from some of the Salaf that they interpret some texts, as long as we assume at least that he did not come across a text from the Infallible that prevents him from this meaning which we call interpretation. Perhaps this meaning was not interpretation for him, but rather what came to his mind, as we Salafis say in the example of the interpretation of the saying of Allah Blessed and Exalted is He: They call this interpreted, but we do not call it interpretation because this meaning is what comes to the mind at first glance. So it is possible that this meaning came to Ibn Abbas’s mind and it was not interpretation for him. When do we say it is interpretation? When there is an explanatory text that differs from his interpretation, then we say this is a rejected interpretation, of course, for its holder. But as a mujtahid, he is excused.
Mashhur: Is this authentic specifically from Ibn Abbas, O Shaykh?

The Shaykh : Yes, that is right.
Musa Nasr: O Shaykh, this statement you have mentioned is correct, because the derivation of this word in the language is that they say, “The war uncovered its leg.”

The Shaykh : This is well known. This is one of the arguments of those who...
Musa Nasr: I mean, linguistically, because the Day of Resurrection will be a day of severity and terror. But O Shaykh, the brother Salim al-Hilali has a thesis on the Leg, tracing the narrations of the Leg, and he says that the athar is weak. Does that mean?

The Shaykh : The athar of Ibn Abbas?
Musa Nasr: By interpreting it as severity.

The Shaykh : What is in my mind is that it is established.
Musa Nasr: Where do we find it in your books, O Shaykh? Because in reality, I have a thesis on the subject.

The Shaykh : If you direct me to your thesis.
Musa Nasr: It is with me.

The Shaykh : A printed thesis?
Musa Nasr: No, it is typed, approximately?

The Shaykh : And did you address this athar?
Musa Nasr: I did not address the athar as a hadith study, but the brother Salim found it writing on the subject. I had finished my research.

The Shaykh : Did you find something?
Mashhur: I found something regarding what you mentioned, that “On the Day when the Leg is uncovered,” the Leg is an indefinite noun and not a possessive, and Ibn Abbas does not imply denying this attribute by the hadith of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri in the *Sahihayn*, and likewise the Successors. So the principle is established for us despite the disagreement on whether it is affirmed or not. If the matter becomes easier in its magnitude.

The Shaykh : I mean, regarding the athar of Ibn Abbas, do you have something?
Mashhur: The athar of Ibn Abbas has seven routes. Brother Salim, I don't know, seven routes, he weakens them. I see it with some effort.

The Shaykh : He weakens them with effort.
Mashhur: With some effort in weakening it. Otherwise, the Shaykh al-Islam authenticates it, and Ibn al-Qayyim authenticates it, and Ibn Hajar authenticates it in *al-Fath*.

The Shaykh : This is what is in my mind, I don't know, how was the method of our brother Salim in weakening it?
Mashhur: Perhaps he looked at each chain individually, and there is slight weakness in it.

The Shaykh : This is not enough.
Mashhur: But it is not enough for weakness.
Musa Nasr: But the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah says, “And the attribute is not described from the verse, but rather it is established from the hadith of Abu Sa'id.”
Mashhur: This is in the context of concession and discussion with the opponent. That is, even if we agreed with you on the authenticity of what is established from Ibn Abbas. Otherwise, he mentions before that that he did not find this interpretation except from Ibn Abbas.

The Shaykh : That is enough, Abu Abdullah.