the Ash‘arīs and Shī‘ah. They adopted this position only to avoid including all believers within the texts threatening punishment.

Those who took a middle course said:

“Rather, universal scope is valid, and these expressions do convey universality; nevertheless, a general statement may have its scope restricted. This is the position of everyone, from the earliest generations to the latest, except this small faction.”

They said: “Anyone who is pardoned is thus excepted from the general scope.”

Others said:

“Rather, failing to carry out a threat does not constitute lying. The Arabs do not regard it as shameful or disgraceful for a man to threaten harm and then not carry it out, as they do when he promises good and then fails to fulfil it.”

This is the position of various groups among both earlier and later scholars. They cited as evidence the words of Ka‘b ibn Zuhayr, addressing the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace:

“I have been told that Allah’s Messenger has threatened me,
yet pardon from Allah’s Messenger is hoped for.”

They said: “This was a threat directed at a particular individual, yet he expressed hope for pardon while addressing the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. It is therefore clear that pardoning someone who has been threatened is permissible, even when this does not involve restricting the scope of a general statement.”

The precise position is as follows:

The Book and the Sunnah contain texts promising reward