And the second is the underlying principle, general rule, and governing criterion under which it falls. The third distinguishes it from pure substances; this is inverse analogy.

We now turn to the answer to these arguments, seeking Allah’s help.

The first line of reasoning is very weak for two reasons. First, the lām in al-bawl (“urine”) marks definiteness, referring to what is already known to those addressed. If a particular referent is already known, that is what is intended. Where no particular referent is already known, the article denotes the genus: either the entire genus, according to the preferred view, or the genus without qualification, according to some—and it may sometimes have this latter sense.

Experts in the Arabic language and in the interpretation of discourse have expressly stated that the article is understood as designating a genus only when there is no previously known referent. When there is such a referent, as in the words of Allah Most High:

“Just as We sent a messenger to Pharaoh.”

“But Pharaoh disobeyed the messenger.”

The messenger is known through having been mentioned earlier. Likewise, in His words:

“Do not make the calling of the Messenger among you”

the Messenger is a particular individual, since he is already known and recognized. In such cases, the article does not designate the genus denoted by the noun, such that one would then consider whether it denotes the entire genus or the genus without qualification. Understand this well, for it is an excellent approach to interpretation.

Realities are of three kinds: universal, particular, and unqualified. Thus, when you say “the human being,” you may mean the entire genus, or you may mean the unqualified