In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allaah [The Exalted] said:

[وَدُّواْ لَوۡ تُدۡهِنُ فَيُدۡهِنُونَ- They wish that you should compromise (in religion out of courtesy) with them, so they (too) would compromise with you]. [Surah Al-Qalam. Verse 9]

They say, “Let’s exchange ideas”. Say to them, “Islam is not a set of ideas, rather it is a divine revelation sent down – by the Lord of universe – in the Magnificent Qur’an and the (authentic) Sunnah of the noble Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] – the Messenger who never speaks based on his desires, rather [إِنۡ هُوَ إِلَّا وَحۡىٌ۬ يُوحَىٰ – It (i.e. the Qur’aan and the authentic Sunnah conveyed by the Messenger) is nothing else but a revelation that is inspired]. As for an idea, it can be (rejected, disapproved etc) and debated, and it may be correct or incorrect. Therefore, it is not permissible to associate Islam with the term ‘Idea’ because it is something specifically attributed to the creation [i.e. humankind and Jinn]. An idea can either be correct or wrong, (but) as for the Sharee’ah [i.e. the sound divine law, creed, acts of worship conveyed by the final Messenger from the Qur’an and the authentic Sunnah], it is infallible. Likewise, it is not to be said, “Islamic idea”, because the scholar who has reached the level of Ijtihaad is restricted by the pure Sharee’ah, so he is not allowed to contemplate (outside the confines of the sound divine revelation revealed by the All-Knower (Allaah)] and then pass judgements; rather he searches and follows the legislated Islamic path of (sound) Ijtihaad in order to derive rulings. (1)

Amr bin Al-Aas [may Allaah be pleased with him] narrated that he heard Allaah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him], ‘’If a Mujtahid gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is correct, he will receive a double reward, and if he gives a verdict according to the best of his knowledge and his verdict is wrong, even then he will get a reward.’’ [Bukhari Number 7352]

Few Reminders From This Hadeeth

[a] A Mujtahid is not deprived of reward. [b] The judgement of a non-Mujtahid is different from that of a Mujtahid. Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said that the one who speaks about the religion without knowledge and out of ignorance (is guilty of) lying and sinning. The one who intentionally speaks to oppose the truth is threatened with entry into the fire of hell, as opposed to the affair of the one who speaks based on permissible Ijtihaad, for indeed he strives, fears Allaah as much as he is able, desires to seek knowledge as much as he was able, speaks for the sake of Allaah, knows the stronger proof and speaks based on that. This person is given two rewards if he is correct; but if he is mistaken, he receives one reward. [c] A Mujtahid can be correct or mistaken. (2)

Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadee [may Allaah preserve him] said, “We do not say that there are people of ijtihaad amongst ahlul bidah (the proponents of religious innovations) because they are followers of desires, and Allaah and His Messenger have testified to this. The misguided innovator stirs up discord and errs, and then says to you, “This is ijtihaad”. When Hikmatiyaar and the misguided parties (in Afghanistan) murdered Shaikh Jameel Ur-Rahmaan, they said: “This is ijtihaad”. They [proponents of religious innovations] do not fall into an affair of misguidance or a calamity except that they say, “This is ijtihaad.” This is (tantamount) to diluting Islaam, falsehood, misguidance, bidah and confounding truth with falsehood when the mistakes of the (true and qualified scholars of ijtihaad)- for which they are rewarded- are placed at the same level with innovation in religious affairs about which the Messenger [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] declared to be destined for the hell fire”. (3)

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “Everyone with a bit of (sound) intellect knows that the corruption of the world and its ruin occurs due to giving precedence to opinion over the divine revelation and (evil) desires over sound intellect. These two corrupt motives are not entrenched in a heart except that its destruction becomes inevitable nor in a nation except that its affairs are completely corrupted”. (4)

He [may Allaah have mercy upon him] also stated: It has been stated that the reason behind Iblees being distanced [from the mercy of Allaah] is because of false interpretation, for indeed he made an analogy with the text and gave precedence to the analogy over the text. He made a false interpretation about himself and that [his so called] rational analogy takes precedence over the command to prostrate. [Allaah informed us that Iblees said]: [أنا خير منه – I am better than him [i.e. Aadam], and that a virtuous one cannot humble himself to one who has been given virtue over him; therefore he quickly said [as Allaah informed us that Iblees said]:[خلقتني من نار وخلقته من طين – You created me from fire, and him you created from clay].

Therefore, he thought that this rational analogy that resembles truth- even though it is false – will benefit him in his false interpretation. So, that which happened him happened and he became the leader of everyone- until the day of judgement- who makes a false interpretation of the texts of the revelation. How many a person in this world are followers of this cursed leader! And if you contemplate on the majority of those doubts that are made to resemble the truth by the false interpreters of the texts and seeking to nullify them, you will find that it is similar to the doubts of Iblees which he seeks to portray as truth.

So, a person says: If the intellect and the text oppose each other, then give precedence to the intellect. This is where this principle is derived from and he [i.e. the proponent of this affair] use it as a fundamental principle through which he rejects those texts of the revelation which he claims are in opposition to the intellect, just as his leader Iblees claimed that a [so called] rational proof opposed the command to make sujood. This doubt came to him due to pride which prevented him from submitting to the clear texts of the revelation. Likewise, you find every false disputer against the texts of the revelation does so due to pride. Allaah [The Exalted] said:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُجَادِلُونَ فِي آيَاتِ اللَّهِ بِغَيْرِ سُلْطَانٍ أَتَاهُمْ ۙ إِن فِي صُدُورِهِمْ إِلَّا كِبْرٌ مَّا هُم بِبَالِغِيهِ ۚ فَاسْتَعِذْ بِاللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْبَصِيرُ

Verily, those who dispute about the Ayat (proofs, evidences, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) of Allah, without any authority having come to them, there is nothing else in their breasts except pride [to accept you (Muhammad ) as a Messenger of Allah and to obey you]. They will never have it (i.e. Prophethood which Allah has bestowed upon you). So seek refuge in Allah (O Muhammad from the arrogants). Verily, it is He Who is the All-Hearer, the All-Seer. [Surah Ghaafir. Aayah 56] (5)

Shaikhul Islaam Ibn Taymiyyah [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: And even though there is something in the paths of analogical reasoning and reflection that will lead to knowledge, however sometimes it cannot give detail explanation in a dispute between the people of the earth due to the minute details and ambiguities [in that dispute], and at other times due to the fact the people differ when prioritising necessities. Therefore, due to this Allaah [The Most High] commanded [us] to return to the revelation in times of dispute. Allaah [The Most High] said: [ كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةً۬ وَٲحِدَةً۬ فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلۡكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلۡحَقِّ لِيَحۡكُمَ بَيۡنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِيمَا ٱخۡتَلَفُواْ فِيهِ‌ۚ -Mankind were one community (i.e. upon Tawheed and Allaah’s Sharee’ah) and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings, and with them He sent the Scripture in truth to judge between people in matters wherein they differed]. [Surah Al-Baqarah’ Aayah 213] Therefore, Allaah [The Most High] designated the revealed Books [i.e. the Qur’aan being the final of them] as the judge between the people in matters wherein they differ. (6)

If you say that the intellect is to be given precedence over the revelation, then which intellect should we follow? Are the intellects of the people combined in the intellect of one man or do they differ? There are intellects of the philosophers, the atheists, the heretics, the people of evil desires and those who confound truth with falsehood; and due to this one of the Salaf said, “Had the desires been one, it would have been considered to be the [basis of] truth”; therefore, we say, “Had the intellects been one, it would have been considered to be the [basis of] truth”. (7)

Some of The Perils of Seeking to Measure Benefit and Harm Based On The Intellect

Shaikh Dr Abu Iyaadh [may Allaah preserve him] said: The wisdom of the Islamic Shariah: Cut off evils and harms to society from their very roots and enjoy the resulting freedom, ease and wholesome life. In contrast: the barbarity and backwardness of commercialising corrosive evils– usurious banking, alcohol, gambling–in order to profit from the masses through affairs in which their ruin and impoverishment lies–and then managing this commercialisation through legislation, policies, guidelines and so on to “limit the harms”. The result? Inescapable enslavement, bondage, disease and ruin of the masses for the enrichment of the few who peddle these vices. Where is the intellect?! (8)]

Finally, even though one rejects and rebuts the plots of the militant secularists and liberalists, but a Muslim is commanded to live with non-Muslims in fine conduct – neither going into the extremes of the khawaarij (brutal terrorists) nor the extremes of the sinful compromisers – so called moderate Muslims; rather Islam forbids extremism and negligence. Listen here by Shaikh Abu Hakeem [may Allaah preserve him]: https://www.salafisounds.com/allaah-warns-against-extremism-and-negligence-by-abu-hakeem/

And read here by Shaikh Abu Khadeejah [may Allaah preserve him]: https://www.abukhadeejah.com/living-with-non-muslims-in-the-west-with-fine-conduct/

[Ref 1: An Excerpt from ‘Mu’jam Al-Manaahiy Lil-Laf’dhiyyah’. pages 430-431. Slightly paraphrased. Publisher: Daarul Aasimah. 3rd Edition 1417 AH (1996)]

[Ref 2: Al-Arba’oona Hadeethaa Fee Usoolil Fiqh. pages 32-33. slightly paraphrased]

[Ref 3: An Excerpt from ‘Ajwibatul Allaamatush Shaikh Rabee Bin Haadee Al Madkhalee Alaa As-ilah Abee Rawaaha Al-Manhajiyyah page: 20]

[Ref 4: A’laam Al-Muwaqqi’een 1/67-69]

[Ref 5: An Excerpt from ‘As-Sawaa’iq Al-Mursalah 1/371-372’. Slightly paraphrased. Your feedback is welcome to improve the content of this article Baarakallaahu]

[Ref 6. Dar Ta’aarud Al-Aql Wan-Naql: 9/17-18];

[Ref 7. Muqaddimah Fee Diraasah At-Tawheed’ by Shaikh Abdur-Razzaaq Al-Badr (may Allaah preserve him) Lesson: 3]

[Ref 8: http://www.shariah.ws/articles/suokooj-there-is-no-safe-limit-in-the-consumption-of-alcohol-and-the-prohibition-of-alcohol-in-the-quran.cfm