From Fatawa Ridawiyyah, vol.15, p.579 No ta’wil [interpretation] will be heard for manifest, unambiguous words. Fatawa Khulasa, Fusul ‘Imadiya, Jami’ al-Fusulayn and Fatawa Hindiya and others state: If someone calls himself RasulAllah or refers to himself as Paighambar in Persian and then says that he meant that he is an ambassador who delivers someone’s message; then he will become a Kafir. [Fatawa Hindiya, vol.2, p.263] Imam Qadi ‘Iyad writes: Imam Ahmad bin Abi Sulaiman, student of Imam Sahnun rahimahumAllah ta’ala, was asked about a man to whom it was said that “In the name of RasulAllah”, he said “May Allah do so-and-so with RasulAllah” and uttered insolent words. It was said to him, “Oh enemy of God! What do you utter about the Messenger?” He replied using even harsher words and then said, “By saying RasulAllah, I meant a scorpion”. Imam Ahmad bin Abi Sulaiman advised the questioner thus, “Bear witness against him so that he may get the punishment of death and that you get the reward. I am with you on this” [meaning, give evidence against him to the Muslim judge and I will also try that we get the judge to issue a verdict of capital punishment and gain the reward of this]. Imam Habib bin Rabee’ says that this is because no ta’wil is heard for explicit words. [al-Shifa’ fi Ta’rif Huquq al-Mustafa, vol.2, p.209] Mawlana ‘Ali Qari writes: That is, when that man said that he was referring to a scorpion – he claimed the literal meaning of the word Risalah in that even the scorpion is sent by Allah to the people – this ta’wil is rejected according the rules of the Shari’ah. [Sharh Shifa’ Mulla ‘Ali Qari ma’a Naseem al-Riyad, vol.4, p.343] ‘Allama Shihab Khafaji writes: Indeed the literal meaning of the word that he referred to is true and denying this is stubbornness. However, his claim that he had intended these meanings will not be accepted because this ta’wil is extremely far fetched. To twist the meaning of word from its apparent meaning will not be heard just as when a man says to his wife that you are taaliq and then gives the explanation that what I meant was that she is open, not tied up [literally, taaliq means extended]. Such a ta’wil will not be accepted and he will be thought to be delirious. [Naseem al-Riyad Sharh Shifa’, vol.4, p.343]
