the language, even though authentic hadiths make clear that khamr is a name for every intoxicating drink.

At other times, a word has several meanings, is indeterminate, or admits both a literal and a figurative interpretation. The scholar adopts whichever meaning seems more likely to him, although the other is intended. Thus, some Companions initially understood the white thread and the black thread to mean actual cords. Others understood His words:

“Wipe your faces and hands”

to include the arms up to the armpits.

At other times, the way the text conveys its meaning is subtle. Statements can convey meaning in a great many ways, and people differ in their ability to perceive these and understand the various aspects of speech, according to the gifts and endowments bestowed by the True One—glorified is He. A person may understand a general indication without realizing that a particular meaning falls within its scope. He may also recognize this at one time, only to forget it later. This is an exceedingly vast subject, which none but Allah fully encompasses. A person may also err by understanding words in a sense that cannot be borne by the Arabic language with which the Messenger (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was sent.

The seventh reason:

The scholar believes that the hadith does not indicate the ruling. The difference between this reason and the preceding one is that, in the former case, he did not recognize how the hadith indicated the ruling, whereas in the latter he has recognized