406 – He said, “Suppose you were to say, ‘They have spoken about something for which they had no dispensation.’
407 – I replied, “Then you have defied their consensus.”
408 – He said, “Indeed.”
709 – He added, “So set that aside!”
410 – I asked, “Is analogy (qiyās) a course open to them?”
411 – He answered, “Yes.”
412 – I said, “If they employ analogy and still differ, may they each continue to act on the analogy he has drawn?”
413 – He said, “If you say no—”
414 – I said, “Then to what should they turn?”
415 – He said, “To analogy.”
416 – I said, “But that is exactly what they have already done: I perceived an analogy supporting what you said, and this man perceived an analogy supporting what he said.”
417 – He said, “Then they should remain silent until they reach agreement.”
418 – I asked, “Even though they are scattered to the ends of the earth?”
419 – He said, “If you insist—yes.”
420 – I responded, “It is impossible for them all to assemble, and even if they could, they would still disagree.”
421 – He said, “If they did assemble, they would not disagree.”
421 – I said, “Two of them have already met and disagreed—what do you expect when the number increases?”
423 – He said, “Some will alert and correct the others.”
424 – I said, “That is precisely what happened, yet each disputant still claimed that his position was the valid analogy.”