The position of early Sunni scholars (as-Salaf) on the interpretation of ambiguous sacred texts and Imam al-Nawawi’s View on It

Abstract

Adherents of early Islam (Salaf) kept to the doctrine of delegation (Tafwid), which later Sunni theologians called the «safest» teaching. Delegation refers to the rejection of the definition of meaning, implied by the word, with abstraction from anything that may indicate a flaw or anthropomorphism. Adherents of early Islam limited themselves to abstraction (Tanzih), acknowledging their ignorance of the specific meaning and accepting that meaning was what Allah implied, whatever it was. Imam al-Nawawi confirmed this teaching and followed it in his books. Later Sunni scholars unanimously recognized this as a method of righteous predecessors (Salaf). However, later Sunni scholars themselves often resorted to the method of interpretation (Ta’wil). The method of interpreting ambiguous sacred texts related to the attributes of God was not the rule. That is, it was resorted to only if there was a necessity to eliminate the doubt or disadvantage that may arise due to the appeal to the literal meaning of the word. It was the very reason why Ibn ‘Abbas and many followers of the Prophet Companions (tabi‘un) interpreted such texts.