The Ta'wil: Is his statement accepted in judgment, or does he commit open sinfulness?
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The questioner : O Shaykh, if the one who engages in ta'wil (figurative interpretation) ... ?
The Shaykh : No, regarding the one who engages in ta'wil (figurative interpretation), one must look to see if there is a valid basis for his ta'wil (figurative interpretation), which is what makes independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) permissible for him; in that case, he does not commit open sinfulness. Otherwise, if we were to say that, we would declare every person who disagrees with us to be an open sinner, and he would also declare us to be open sinners, while we believe him to be an open sinner. However, if the truth becomes clear to a person and he persists in his error, and the truth is obvious, then he may commit open sinfulness, or he may not.
The questioner : If it is ... ?
The Shaykh : It is not acceptable; I must say it is not acceptable. It must be just (adl). But as I told you, if it is difficult to find these qualities in the judge, then it is according to what is possible, just as the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said.
The Shaykh : No, regarding the one who engages in ta'wil (figurative interpretation), one must look to see if there is a valid basis for his ta'wil (figurative interpretation), which is what makes independent legal reasoning (ijtihad) permissible for him; in that case, he does not commit open sinfulness. Otherwise, if we were to say that, we would declare every person who disagrees with us to be an open sinner, and he would also declare us to be open sinners, while we believe him to be an open sinner. However, if the truth becomes clear to a person and he persists in his error, and the truth is obvious, then he may commit open sinfulness, or he may not.
The questioner : If it is ... ?
The Shaykh : It is not acceptable; I must say it is not acceptable. It must be just (adl). But as I told you, if it is difficult to find these qualities in the judge, then it is according to what is possible, just as the Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah said.