‘The Unleashed Thunderbolts’ (As-Sawā'iq al-Mursala) by Ibn al-Qayyim.
It’s a systematic attack on the concept of Ta’wīl (reinterpretation of scripture). I consider it the most theologically important book in my library.
I translated a beautiful passage below 🧵:
It’s a systematic attack on the concept of Ta’wīl (reinterpretation of scripture). I consider it the most theologically important book in my library.
I translated a beautiful passage below 🧵:
“One of the greatest crimes and malice towards religion and its adherents is that the reinterpreter finds an open-door and an easy path to achieve his goal of scattering the common word of the adherents of the religion and disorganizing them.
This is because he is counted among the ranks of the Muslims for affirming the origin of the revelation, and he enters himself into the party of the people of Ta’wīl, and then he gets to say whatever he wants and claim whatever he likes, and no one can stop him from doing that.
Because he claims the origin of the revelation is shared between you and him, and that most sects who affirm the revelation have done Ta’wīl, each for his own sect.
So he voices a reinterpretation similar to their reinterpretations and says:
So he voices a reinterpretation similar to their reinterpretations and says:
‘You don’t get to reinterpret something except that I have the same privilege. What made it permissible for you and forbidden for me?’
‘Me and you both affirm the origin of the revelation and agree upon the permissibility of Ta’wīl, so what makes you think your Ta’wīl despite contradicting the apparent meaning (Ẓāhir) of the revelation is permissible and mine is ḥarām?’
So his attachment to this is the greatest scheme of his and the most dangerous weapon he wages war with.
The people of different religions have only received these injuries and many times their number due to Ta’wīl.
The people of different religions have only received these injuries and many times their number due to Ta’wīl.
Ta’wīl is what caused Jews to split into 71 sects, Christians into 72, and this Ummah into 73.”
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