his life. The majority of the leading hadith scholars, jurists, and Sufis follow an approach that is more complete and more faithful to the Sunnah, as has been explained elsewhere.

As for al-Khattābī’s statement that some texts require interpretation, al-Qādī Abū Yaʿlā and others like him say the same. Although they take this position, al-Qādī has explained that such interpretation rests on another text indicating a meaning contrary to the apparent meaning of the text being interpreted. Al-Khattābī states that interpretation rests on evidence or necessity. By necessity, he means that necessary knowledge rules out the apparent meaning.

We have mentioned elsewhere that when sense perception or necessary knowledge rules out the apparent meaning of general expressions and similar wording, people disagree over whether to call this “specification” or “departure from the apparent meaning,” since it functions like contextual indicators accompanying the discourse.

Those who affirm the attributes they call “report-based attributes”