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Al-Rāzī said:

“Chapter Four: An Exposition of the Position of the Early Generations

“The essence of this position is that one must affirm with certainty that Allah Most High intends by these ambiguous passages something other than their apparent meaning. Their meaning must then be entrusted to Allah Most High, and it is impermissible to delve into their explanation. The speculative theologians, however, maintain that one must engage in figurative interpretation of these ambiguous passages.”

This may be addressed from several angles.

First: He has reported only two positions: that figurative interpretation is forbidden or that it is obligatory. He has omitted the position that it is permissible without being obligatory, which many people hold. Some consider it obligatory in certain circumstances but not others. Others permit it in certain circumstances but not others, and for some people but not others. For most proponents of figurative interpretation, this