So far, then, the position is established. Now, we Muslims firmly
believe that our Law is divine and true. This very Law urges us and
brings us to that blessing which is known as the knowledge of God, and
His creation. This is a fact to which every Muslim will bear testimony
by his very nature and temperament. We say this, because temperaments
differ in believing: one will believe through philosophy; while another
will believe through dogmatic discourse, just as firmly as the former,
as no other method appeals to his nature. There are others who believe
by exhortation alone, just as others believe through inferences. For
this reason our divine Law invites people by all the three methods,
which every man has to satisfy, except those who stubbornly refuse to
believe, or those, according to whom these divine methods have not been
established on account of the waywardness of their hearts. This is why
the mission of the Prophet has been declared common to the whole world,
for his Law comprises all the three methods leading men towards God.
What we say is quite clear from the following saying of God: “Invite
men unto the way of the Lord, by wisdom and mild exhortation, and
dispute with them in the most condescending manner.”[9]
As this Law is true and leads to the consideration of the knowledge
of God, we Muslims should believe that rational investigation is not
contrary to Law, for truth cannot contradict truth, but verifies it and
bears testimony to it. And if that is so, and rational observation is
directed to the knowledge of any existent objects, then the Law may be
found to be silent about it, or concerned with it. In the former case
no dispute arises, as it would be equivalent to the absence of its
mention in the Law as injunctory, and hence the jurist derives it from
legal conjecture. But if the Law speaks of it, either it will agree
with that which has been proved by inference, or else it will disagree
with it. If it is in agreement it needs no comment, and if it is
opposed to the Law, an interpretation is to be sought. Interpretation
means to carry the meaning of a word from its original sense to a
metaphorical one. But this should be done in such a manner as will
not conflict with the custom of the Arabian tongue. It is to avoid
the naming of an object, by simply mentioning its like, its cause,
its attribute, or associate, etc. which are commonly quoted in the
definition of the different kinds of metaphorical utterances. And if
the jurist does so in many of the legal injunctions, how very befitting
would it be for a learned man to do the same with his arguments. For
the jurist has only his fanciful conjectures to depend upon, while a
learned man possesses positive ones.
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