Fundamental Principles of Knowledge & Reasoning in Religion

In all discussions concerning religion, two principles hold fundamental importance for knowledge and reasoning. These are the foundational elements of rationality and tradition, without which it is impossible to attain a proper understanding of religion and Shariah. They are as follows:

1. In religion, the Quran holds the status of being the criterion and the balance (Mizan)(Furqan)¹

This means that the Quran is the decisive authority in all matters related to religion. Consequently, every statement, tradition, or opinion found in the hadith, historical accounts, biographies, jurisprudence, and exegesis must be weighed and scrutinized against the Quran’s standards. Only those elements will be accepted which the Quran endorses; anything it rejects will not be acknowledged as part of the religion or its interpretation and explanation.

To adhere to this principle, it is essential to understand hadith in the light of the Quran. Any content in the hadith that contradicts the Quran and Sunnah must be rejected. It is stated in Mizan:

2. The Quran was revealed in a clear and comprehensible Arabic language

Quran’s words and styles contain no complexity, ambiguity, irregularity, or unfamiliarity. It conveys its message with absolute clarity, posing no difficulty for scholars to understand.

The author of Mizan states:

The Quran was revealed not only in Arabic but in a clear and comprehensible Arabic (Arabi Mubeen). This means a language of utmost clarity, free from any complexities, where every word is explicit, and every style is familiar to its audience. The Quran declares:

“…The Quran holds the position of being the criterion and the balance in religion. It oversees everything and has been revealed as the ultimate arbiter between truth and falsehood. Therefore, it does not require further reasoning to assert that anything opposing the Quran must necessarily be rejected… The Quran is also the definitive source of the Prophet’s actions in his capacity as a prophet and messenger. Hence, most of the content in the hadith pertains to the Quran in the same way that a branch relates to its root, or an explanation to its text. Without referring to the original text and its root, understanding its explanation and branch is evidently not possible. A close examination of the errors made in interpreting hadith makes this fact evident. The events of stoning during the prophetic era, the assassination of Kaab ibn Ashraf, narrations of the punishment in the grave, intercession, the rulings such as ‘I have been commanded to fight the people’ (Umirtu an uqatil an-naas)² and ‘Whoever changes their religion, kill them’ (Man baddala deenahu faqtuluhu)³, have caused confusion because efforts were not made to understand them by relating them to their origins in the Quran.” (pp. 63–65)

‘The trustworthy spirit (Gabriel) has descended with it upon your heart, so that you may be among the warners, in clear Arabic speech.’ (Ash-Shu’ara, 26:193-195)

This clarity of the Quran is an undeniable reality. Accepting this leads to the conclusion that no word or style in the Quran can carry an obscure meaning. The Quran was revealed to its audience in familiar and well-known words and styles, with no element of unfamiliarity in its language.

‘It is a Quran in Arabic, free from any crookedness, so that they may attain piety.’ (Al-Zumar, 39:28)

نَزَلَ بِهِ ٱلرُّوحُ ٱلْأَمِينُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْمُنذِرِينَ بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِىٍّۢ مُّبِينٍۢ

Therefore, every interpretation and translation of the Quran must consider its well-known meanings. Any interpretation deviating from these cannot be accepted under any circumstances.” (pp. 20–21)

In our view, most misunderstandings in traditional schools of thought stem from neglecting these principles of reason and tradition. As a result, the definitive and unequivocal texts of the Quran are treated as secondary, while the speculative and less definitive texts of the Hadith are regarded as primary. Instead of interpreting Hadith in the light of the Quran, attempts are made to reinterpret the Quran in the light of Hadith. The same issue arises with the recognized words and styles of the Arabic language; they are taken away from their common meanings and interpreted using rare and unfamiliar connotations.

This erroneous approach to knowledge and the reversed methodology of reasoning and interpretation undermines the Quran’s status as the criterion and standard. It disregards the established conventions of language and expression, and at times, produces interpretations that conflict with the intended perspectives of both the Quran and Hadith in certain aspects.