What is the wisdom behind the generality found in the texts of the Shari'ah?
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The questioner : Oh Shaykh
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Is it permissible to say that the Shari'ah is general in order to preserve the effect of ijtihad... and that scholars are rewarded for... the Qur'an and the Sunnah...?
The Shaykh : Not on the surface. The apparent wisdom of generality is that enumerating the details is not possible. Moreover, enumerating the details in an era when people know nothing about these details might lead to some rejection. For example,[An-Nahl 16:8] if he said, "And the airplanes in the sky," what would the polytheists say? Huh, what is this talk...?! Iron flying with people?! This is from the foolishness of Muhammad.
The questioner : ...the ruling on the airplane.
The Shaykh : Yes, and for this reason, when airplanes first appeared, a man from Iraq came and narrated to us in the gathering of one of the princes. He said, "By Allah, we rode in an airplane from Basra to Bombay." What is this talk? He said, "The airplane is a house of iron with two wings that flies." The prince gestured to a man who was with the man to greet him, and he said to him, "Be quiet," meaning he silenced him. He said... to him, "Be quiet," and he was quiet. When the people dispersed, he said to him, "You are now... a madman. You come and say that iron flies. Never in your life speak in the gatherings of Unaizah about this. Never." ...and he rebuked him. Yes.
The questioner : The prince...
The Shaykh : Huh, the point is that I tell you that these matters are made general so that they cannot be mentioned to people in detail.
The Shaykh : Yes
The questioner : Is it permissible to say that the Shari'ah is general in order to preserve the effect of ijtihad... and that scholars are rewarded for... the Qur'an and the Sunnah...?
The Shaykh : Not on the surface. The apparent wisdom of generality is that enumerating the details is not possible. Moreover, enumerating the details in an era when people know nothing about these details might lead to some rejection. For example,
And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know.
والخيل والبغال والحمير لتركبوها وزينة ويخلق ما لا تعلمونThe questioner : ...the ruling on the airplane.
The Shaykh : Yes, and for this reason, when airplanes first appeared, a man from Iraq came and narrated to us in the gathering of one of the princes. He said, "By Allah, we rode in an airplane from Basra to Bombay." What is this talk? He said, "The airplane is a house of iron with two wings that flies." The prince gestured to a man who was with the man to greet him, and he said to him, "Be quiet," meaning he silenced him. He said... to him, "Be quiet," and he was quiet. When the people dispersed, he said to him, "You are now... a madman. You come and say that iron flies. Never in your life speak in the gatherings of Unaizah about this. Never." ...and he rebuked him. Yes.
The questioner : The prince...
The Shaykh : Huh, the point is that I tell you that these matters are made general so that they cannot be mentioned to people in detail.