And Ahmad pointed out that it is not known what they mean by this expression. When a speaker’s intended meaning is unknown, one should agree with him neither in affirming it nor in denying it. If he mentions a meaning affirmed by Allah and His Messenger, we affirm it; and if he mentions a meaning denied by Allah and His Messenger, we deny it—in clear Arabic. We have no need for expressions that are innovations in religion, distortions of language, and rationally contradictory in meaning, thereby corrupting revelation, language, and reason—as has been done by the innovators who engage in false speculative theology contrary to the Quran and Sunnah.
The same applies to the expression “compulsion.” The early generations disapproved of saying either “He compelled” or “He did not compel.” Al-Khallāl related in his book al-Sunnah, from the imam Abū Ishāq al-Fazārī, who said:
“Al-Awzā‘ī said to me, ‘Two men came to me and asked me about divine decree. I wanted to bring them to you so that you could hear what they have to say and answer them.’
“I said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you; you are better qualified to answer.’
“Then al-Awzā‘ī came to me with the two men and said, ‘Speak.’
“They said, ‘Some adherents of the Qadariyya came to us and disputed with us concerning divine decree. We disputed with them until our exchange led us to say: “Allah has compelled us to do what He has forbidden us, prevented us from doing what He has commanded us, and provided us with what He has prohibited to us.”’
“He said, ‘Answer them, Abū Ishāq.’
“I said, ‘May Allah have mercy on you; you are better qualified to answer.’
“He said, ‘Answer them.’ I was reluctant to go against him, so I said, ‘You two! Those who brought these claims to you have introduced an innovation and brought something new into religion. Yet I see that you have departed from that innovation only to embrace something similar to what they have embraced.’
“He said, ‘You have answered well, Abū Ishāq.’”
It was also related from Baqiyya ibn al-Walīd, who said:
“I asked al-Zubaydī and al-Awzā‘ī about compulsion. Al-Zubaydī said, ‘Allah’s command is too great, and His power too great, for Him to compel or obstruct; rather,