that the speaker did not intend. Rather, this is among the most utterly false, untenable, and reprehensible practices, by the agreement of all rational people. Yet these interpreters who distort meanings frequently fall into it. His wording suggests precisely this when he says: “At that point, the speculative theologians said: ‘Since it has been established by proof that Allah, exalted is He, is free of direction and corporeality, we must assign a sound meaning to these expressions occurring in the Quran and the reports.’”

His expression “assign” apparently means that they assign these expressions whatever sound meanings they can bear, without considering whether the speaker intended those meanings or not. On this basis, interpretation becomes a lie and a fabrication against the speaker when someone says, “This statement means such-and-such,” for interpretation amounts to saying that the speaker intended and meant such-and-such by it. Yet all the interpreter has established is that this meaning could, in general, be intended by these words. It may, however, be appropriate for someone else to intend that meaning, but not for this speaker himself.

Thus, whoever interprets the words of jurists such as al-Shāfi'ī, Ahmad, Mālik, and Abū Hanīfa