“It is neither literal nor figurative.” The questioner replied, “May Allah reward your brand of literalism,” and similar anecdotes are told. They likewise allege that the literalists deny rational proofs (1), shun investigation, reflection, and debate with the people of falsehood, even though human souls naturally crave inquiry, examination, and understanding.

Another of those preliminaries is their claim that speech expressed through metaphor and allegory is sweeter, more appropriate, and more refined. One of the foremost grammarians (2) even declared, “Most of the language is metaphor.” If, then, most of the language (3) is figurative, it becomes easy for people to adopt every kind of reinterpretation: say what you wish, interpret as you please, abandon the plain sense, and it will not harm you whichever metaphor you employ.

They also assert that the evidences of the Quran and Sunnah are merely verbal proofs that yield neither knowledge nor certainty, whereas knowledge is obtained only from rational arguments (4) and the rules of logic.

Still another maxim of theirs is: “When reason and revelation are in conflict, reason must be given precedence over revelation.”

Such preliminaries and the like are the very foundation of reinterpretation. When these causes join and converge (5), what a tribulation it is for the Quran and Sunnah! Once they take root in hearts already possessed by these influences, the result is reinterpretation, distortion, alteration, suppression, and obscurity (6).