Explanation of the author's statement: without distortion

The Shaykh : He said: "without distortion, without negation, without asking how, and without likening".
The people of the Sunnah and the community, may Allah make me and you among them, believe in this with a faith free from these four matters: distortion, denial of the divine attributes, asking how an attribute is, and comparing Allah to creation.
So distortion is either verbal or semantic. They do not distort in the wording. Generally, verbal distortion does not occur except from an ignorant person... it does not occur, and if it does occur, it is only from an ignorant person. Verbal distortion means changing the form. For example, you will not find anyone saying: "Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds" unless he is ignorant. This is the general case.
But semantic distortion is what many people have fallen into. The faith of the people of the Sunnah and the community in what Allah described Himself with is free from distortion, meaning: changing the meaning. It is free from changing the meaning. Those who advocate it call changing the meaning "figurative interpretation" and call themselves "the people of figurative interpretation." Do you know why? To give this speech the color of acceptance, because people do not recoil from figurative interpretation nor do they dislike it. But in reality, it is distortion. However, they cannot say "distortion." If they said "distortion," they would declare against themselves the rejection of their own words, saying, "We are the people of distortion. Who would accept their words?" But they say "the people of figurative interpretation" and give it the color of acceptance, while in reality it is distortion. For this reason, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) used the term "distortion" rather than "figurative interpretation," even though many who speak on this topic use the negation of figurative interpretation, saying "without figurative interpretation." But the author's expression is preferable for three reasons:
The first reason is that it is the wording that came in the Qur'an. Allah the Exalted said: He said: "They distort." The expression used in the Qur'an is preferable to others because it is more indicative of the speech, more indicative of the state, and closer to justice. It is not just to call one who distorts and interprets without evidence an "interpreter." Rather, justice is to describe him with what he deserves, which is that he is a "distorter." This is one.
The second aspect is that distortion is more repulsive than figurative interpretation. Why? Because distortion is not accepted by anyone, but figurative interpretation is soft; the soul accepts it and inquires about its meaning. As for distortion, as soon as we say "this is distortion," the person recoils from it. Do you understand? If that is the case, then using "distortion" for those who opposed the path of the Salaf is more appropriate than using "figurative interpretation."
The third aspect is that not all figurative interpretation is blameworthy. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: And Allah the Exalted said: So He praised them by saying that they know the figurative interpretation. So not all figurative interpretation is blameworthy, unlike distortion. I say not all distortion is blameworthy, because distortion... I say not all figurative interpretation is blameworthy, because figurative interpretation has multiple meanings. It can mean exegesis, it can mean the outcome and the end result, and it can mean turning the wording away from its apparent meaning. It can mean figurative interpretation, as many exegetes say when they explain a verse: "The figurative interpretation of the saying of Allah the Exalted is such and such," and then they mention the meaning. This means exegesis. Exegesis is called figurative interpretation because we "interpreted" the speech, meaning we made it lead to its intended meaning. Clear, good.
Figurative interpretation means: the outcome of a thing. If it occurs in a request, its figurative interpretation is its performance. If it occurs in a report, its figurative interpretation is its occurrence. That is, if the report is described with it, its figurative interpretation is its occurrence. If it occurs in a request, its figurative interpretation is its performance. In reality, its performance is its implementation, but we say so. The figurative interpretation regarding a report means the occurrence of what was reported. From this is the saying of Allah the Exalted: When what they were informed of occurs, is that not so? Are they not waiting for the outcome and the end result of what they were informed of? It sprouted, my brother, so you don't forget. When that which was reported comes, those who forgot it... Oh Adam, oh Bukhari, those who forgot it before... The messengers of our Lord have already come with the truth. Good. Is there a saying of Yusuf when they prostrated? He said: No, this is occurrence, because he said it after what happened, after they prostrated to him. Good. The saying of the two prisoners: This is exegesis. This is exegesis. If figurative interpretation means exegesis and figurative interpretation means the outcome, we said: if it is a report, its figurative interpretation is its occurrence. If it is a request, its figurative interpretation is its performance. Aisha said: كان النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم يكثر أن يقول في ركوعه وسجوده بعد أن أنزل عليه قوله تعالى : إِذَا جَاءَ نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ يكثر أن يقول في ركوعه وسجوده سبحانك اللهم ربنا وبحمدك، اللهم اغفر لي يتأول القرآن The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) used to frequently say in his bowing and prostration, after the revelation of the verse “When the help of Allah and the conquest have come”: “Glory be to You, O Allah, our Lord, and praise be to You. O Allah, forgive me.” He interpreted the Qur’an by acting upon it. What is this? It means: it is acted upon. So the figurative interpretation of a request is its performance, meaning leaving it if it is a prohibition, and performing it if it is a command. Is this figurative interpretation praiseworthy or not praiseworthy? Praiseworthy. Performing commands and leaving prohibitions is praiseworthy.
The third meaning of figurative interpretation: turning the wording away from its apparent meaning. This type is divided into praiseworthy and blameworthy. If evidence points to it, it is praiseworthy and falls under the first category, which is exegesis. If no evidence points to it, it is blameworthy and falls under the category of distortion, not figurative interpretation. This second type is what the people of distortion have practiced regarding the attributes of Allah (Mighty and Majestic). I think it is understood now. Good.
Figurative interpretation. Let us repeat it once more. Figurative interpretation is divided into three categories. First: that it means exegesis.
Second: that it means the end result of a thing. This end result, if the thing is a report, meaning if the text is a report, its figurative interpretation is its occurrence. If it is a request, its figurative interpretation is its performance. And if you wish, say, in order to include prohibition, its figurative interpretation is its compliance. This is preferable to me. If it is a request, its figurative interpretation is its compliance, meaning leaving it if it is a prohibition, and performing it if it is a command. Understood?
The third category: turning the wording away from its apparent meaning to the opposite of the apparent. We say this last, the third, is also divided into praiseworthy and blameworthy. If evidence points to it, it is praiseworthy and falls under the category of exegesis, the first one. If no evidence points to it, it is distortion, it is blameworthy, and in reality it is distortion, not figurative interpretation. Good. Can we give examples? We gave examples of exegesis and examples of the end result and outcome of a thing.
Turning the wording away from its apparent meaning. For example, The apparent meaning of the wording is that Allah (Mighty and Majestic) rose above the Throne, settled upon it, and was elevated above it. Good. If someone says: the meaning of is "he took control of the Throne," we say this is figurative interpretation — a point — figurative interpretation, because you turned the wording away from its apparent meaning. Good. Do we call this figurative interpretation, meaning exegesis, or distortion? Distortion. We say distortion. Why? Because no evidence points to it, but the evidence is to the contrary, as will come if Allah wills. We say this is distortion. A point, my brother. We say this is distortion.
Good. A reader read: He said the meaning of: is "the command of Allah will come." Oh Shaykh, Allah says "it has come," and you say "it will come." Is this in agreement with the apparent wording or contrary to it? Contrary to the apparent wording. Good. Is there evidence for it? Yes, there is evidence: If it had not yet come, if it had already come, it would not be correct to say: So there is evidence from the verse. In that case, the figurative interpretation here is praiseworthy and correct, because it is an exegesis of the verse.
He said, "If you read," meaning if you intend to read, my brother, fear Allah. Allah says: Meaning, when you finish the recitation, say "I seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan." Is this the meaning of "if you read" or not? Fine. This is the apparent wording. But we say the meaning of "if you read" is "if you intend to read." He said, "No, this is figurative interpretation." We say, "Yes, we agree with you that it is figurative interpretation, but do we have connected or disconnected evidence?" This is connected. Good. "If you read," "if you intend to read." Is the evidence connected or disconnected? Disconnected. How? From the Sunnah. We know from the Sunnah that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), when he intended to read, would seek refuge in Allah from the accursed Shaytan. So here we knew the meaning from the Sunnah. Good. Is the figurative interpretation correct or not correct? Correct. Good.
Anas said: And what is the meaning of "if he enters"?
The student: If he intends.

The Shaykh : Good. And what makes you know that? "If he enters." We say because the remembrance of Allah is not fitting inside the place. For this reason, we took his saying: to mean "when he intended to enter." This figurative interpretation, which evidence points to, is correct, or does it amount to being an exegesis? Therefore, we said: figurative interpretation is preferable. And I return once more: distortion is preferable, because it is what came in the Qur'an. If we add to the three, we mentioned three, but it is possible to add. Distortion is preferable because it is closer to the path of the distorter, because he is a distorter, a changer. It is preferable because it is more repulsive from this method that opposes whom? The path of the Salaf. It is preferable because all distortion is blameworthy, unlike figurative interpretation, of which some is blameworthy and some is praiseworthy. So distortion is preferable from how many aspects? ... Four.