The Importance Or Consideration Is With The Generality Of The Wording And Not With The Specificity Of The Cause
(Al-‘Ibrah Bi’Umoom il-Lafzh Laa BiKhusoos is-Sabab)
The Wahy, manifested in the Qur’aan and the Hadeeth, descended upon the Messenger of Allah (saw) to explain the Ahkaam of specific incidents. For example, the Aayah of Saraqah (theft) was revealed in respect to the theft of the shield or cloak of Safwaan, the Aayah of Zhihaar (Al-Mujaadalah) was revealed in respect to Salamah Bin Sakhr or Khawlah Bint Tha’labah the wife of Aws Bin As-Saamit and the Aayah of Al-Li’aan (swearing a curse) was revealed in respect to Hilaal Bin Umayyah.
All of these Aayaat and those which we mentioned in the first part of the book, in relation to the deduction of this Qaa’idah (principle), were all revealed in relation to specific causes or circumstances (Asbaab). However, the Messenger (saw) and the Sahabah (rah) applied them in their generality and so they applied them to every similar incident or reality, and this application became established by the Sunnah and the Ijmaa’ As-Sahaabah. These Aayaat came with general wordings (Alfaazh ‘Aammah) and consequently indicating to Al-‘Umoom (generality). So the Lafzh ‘As-Saariq’ (the male thief) and ‘As-Saariqah’ (female thief) represent a Lafzh ‘Aamm because they are defined (Mu’arraf) with ‘ال) ‘Alif Laam) Al-Jinsiyah (of kind/type). Its meaning therefore encompasses or absorbs within it every Saariq (thief) and every Saariqah. However, these Aayaat were revealed in relation to certain causes (Asbaab). The ‘Ibrah (importance or that which is given consideration) does not lie in their specific Asbaab but rather the ‘Ibrah (significance) lies in their Alfaazh (wordings) that indicate to Al-Umoom (generality).