of revelation are to be held in reverence.

Part of attaining complete knowledge is to investigate what His Messenger intended by them, so as to affirm the meanings he affirmed and deny those he denied. We must believe everything he reported and obey him in everything he made obligatory and commanded. Then, when we understand these matters in detail, our knowledge and faith increase. Allah Most High says:

“Allah will raise those of you who believe and those who have been given knowledge in rank.”

As for expressions that occur neither in the Quran nor in the Sunnah, and whose affirmation or denial was not agreed upon by the early generations, no one is obliged to agree with anyone who denies or affirms them without first asking what he means. If he intends a meaning consistent with what the Messenger conveyed, it is accepted; if he intends a meaning contrary to what the Messenger conveyed, it is rejected.

When conveying these meanings, if the wording is confusing or ambiguous, other wording should be used, or its intended meaning clarified, so that the truth is made known in a manner consistent with revelation. Much disagreement among people arises from ambiguous, newly introduced expressions and unclear meanings. Thus, you may find two men quarrelling and becoming enemies over the unqualified affirmation or denial of certain expressions, yet if either were asked what he meant by his words, he would have no clear conception of it, let alone know the evidence for it. Even if he knew its evidence, it would not necessarily follow that someone who disagreed with him was mistaken; rather, his opponent’s position may contain a measure of truth. Each may be right in one respect, or the truth may lie in a third position.