The Role of the Intellect Toward Creed and How to Confront Desires

Question:
What is the role of the intellect toward the Islamic creed? What is our position regarding the people of innovation and desires? Is it permissible to boycott them?

Answer:
The role of the intellect is in this understanding and reasoning, in knowing the meaning, and in examining the chains of narration—regarding the Sunnah—and their validity. It is not for it to place what it sees above the Book and the Sunnah; rather... it must submit to the Book and the Sunnah. It is not for the people of Islam to place their intellects or their opinions above what the Book and the Sunnah have said. No, the intellect is a follower, and its function is to contemplate, to understand, and to act. It is not for it to legislate. Those who legislated, such as the Jahmiyyah, the Mu'tazilah, and others, were destroyed and fell into various types of falsehood by placing their intellects above the texts. It is obligatory to submit the intellects, the hearts, and the souls to the texts, and for the believer to be a follower of the Book of Allah and of what is authentic in the Sunnah from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). However, he uses his intellect in knowing the meaning, in the validity or invalidity of a hadith, in asking the scholars of knowledge, and in looking into the paths leading to that. This is the function of the intellect. As for placing his opinion above what is established as being from the legislation of Allah, that is not permissible.