If a man is an innovator and he utters words that could be interpreted as following the methodology of the Salaf or the methodology of the Khalaf, do we interpret them as following the methodology of the Salaf?

The questioner : This person is asking: If a man is an innovator and he utters words that could be interpreted as following the methodology of the Salaf or the methodology of the Khalaf, do we interpret them as following the methodology of the Salaf?

The Shaykh : We mentioned a little while ago: unless there is evidence to the contrary, if there is evidence, we do not interpret it according to the correct meaning; we interpret it according to what we know of the man's condition. For this reason, some of them say — I think it was al-Balqini — he says: "I extracted the Mu'tazilite views from al-Kashshaf with tongs". Al-Kashshaf is a tafsir (exegesis) by al-Zamakhshari. It is actually a good tafsir in terms of language and meaning, and it sometimes discusses matters of jurisprudence. Everyone after him has seen it as a source to draw from regarding eloquence and grammar, such as Abu al-Su'ud and others. However, he is a pure Mu'tazili, and he disparages the people of the Sunnah, calling them the Hashawiyyah. You will find in his words things that you would say are good, that this is among the best of speech, as in the saying of Allah the Exalted: He said: "What greater success is there than being saved from the Fire and entering Paradise?" When you hear this speech, what do you say? You say: This is good speech; this contains a greater success than this. But he is pointing to the denial of seeing Allah, because it is well known that Allah (Glorified and Exalted is He) made seeing Him an addition to the bliss of the Hereafter: He says: What greater success is there than being saved from the Fire and entering Paradise? The answer from everyone would be: Nothing, there is no greater success than this. But he is pointing to the denial of seeing Allah (Mighty and Majestic). Who would know this unless we knew from the man's methodology that he is a Mu'tazili who denies seeing Allah (Mighty and Majestic)? If we did not know that, we would say: It is not permissible to accuse him, because whoever enters Paradise will see Allah (Mighty and Majestic).