Az-Zaahir shi ne Lafzi (kalma) wanda ma'anarsa ta harshe ke zuwa zuciya kawai ta hanyar karanta sigarsa ko jin sa, ba tare da buƙatar dogara ga wata hujja ta waje don fahimtar sa ba. Duk da haka, wannan ma'ana ba ta wakiltar ainihin ma'anar da aka nufa a cikin hukuncin nassin ba.

The Zhaahir is the Lafzh (wording) which its linguistic meaning comes to the mind by just reading its form or hearing it, without the need to rely upon an external Daleel (evidence) to understand it. This is whilst this meaning does not represent the original intended meaning in respect to the legislation of the text.

Misali:

Example:

Allah (SWT) ya ce:

Allah (swt) said:

Yana zuwa a zuciya daga Zhaahir (ma'anar bayyane) na Alfaazh (kalmomi) na Aayar cewa ciniki halal ne, kuma riba haram ce. Wannan ita ce ma'ana ta Zhaahir, domin fahimtarta daga kalmomin biyu 'Ahalla' da 'Harrama' tana zuwa a zuciya ba tare da bukatar wata Qareenah (alama ta waje mai danganta ma'ana) ba.

It comes to the mind from the Zhaahir (apparentness) of the Alfaazh (wordings) of the Aayah that the trade is Halaal and that the Ribaa (usury/interest) is Haraam. This is the Zhaahir (apparent) meaning because its understanding from the two words ‘Ahalla’ and ‘Harrama’ comes to the mind without the need for an external Qareenah (connotation or linking indication).

Amma wannan ma'ana ba ita ce ainihin abin da ake nufi ba daga mahallin (Siyaaq) ayar mai daraja. Wannan saboda abin da ainihin ake nufi daga gare ta shi ne musanta kamanceceniya tsakanin ciniki da Riba ta fuskar Hukuncin Shari'a, kamar yadda ayar ta zo ne a matsayin martani ga waɗanda suka ce: 'Lallai ciniki kamar Riba yake'.

This meaning, however, is not intended originally from the context (Siyaaq) of the Noble Aayah. That is because that which is originally intended from it is the negation of the resemblance between the trade and the Ribaa in the Hukm Ash-Shar’iy as the Aayah came in response to those who said: ‘Verily, the trade is like the Ribaa’.

Ga wani misali:

Another example:

Allah (SWT) ya ce:

Allah (swt) said:

Zahirin (abin da ya bayyana) na ayar yana nuni ga halaccin auren mata fiye da daya. Amma wannan ma'ana ba ita ce ainihin abin da ayar ta nufa daga mahallinta ba; abin da ainihi aka nufa daga Siyaaq (mahallin ayar) shi ne halaccin hada aure da dama har zuwa iyakar hudu, muddin an tabbatar da kubuta daga zalunci a tsakaninsu.

The Zhaahir (what is apparent) of the text of the Aayah guides to the permissibility of marrying more than one wife. This meaning is not intended in origin from the context of the Aayah but rather what is originally intended from its Siyaaq (context) is the permissibility to combine a number of marriages to the limit of four where they are secured from injustice occuring amongst them.

Siffaat (halayen) na Hukmin Zhaahir:

The Siffaat (attributes/characteristics) of the Hukm of the Zhaahir:

1 – Yana iya yiwuwa a yi Ta'weel (fassarar ma'ana), ta yadda za a karkata lafzin daga ma'anarsa ta zahiri, a nufi wata ma'ana daban daga gare shi. Wannan karkatarwa na iya faruwa ta hanyoyi daban-daban:

1 – It is open to Ta’weel (interpretation) so that the Lafzh is diverted from its Zhaahir meaning and another meaning is intended from it. This diversion can happen in different ways:

A – Cewa an takaita shi a cikin yanayin da aka yi shi a matsayin gama-gari. Saboda haka, dangane da Aayar:

A – That it is specified in the case where it had been general. So in respect to the Aayah:

Ya zo a matsayin ‘Aamm (gabaɗaya) da ya shafi kowace ciniki, alhali kuma Hadisai sun takaita shi, inda suka haramta cinikin ɗan ƙauye ga mazaunin birni, da cinikin Malaaqeeh, da cinikin Al-Hisaah (ta hanyar jifan dutse).

It is ‘Aamm (general) applying to every trade whilst it has been specified by Ahaadeeth that have forbidden the trade of the Bedouin to the resident (in town) and the trade of Malaaqeeh and the trade of Al-Hisaah (by the process of throwing stones).

B – Cewa yana takaita abin da yake Mutlaq (wanda ba a takaita shi ba). Wannan kamar abin da ya zo a cikin Maganar Allah Ta'aala game da Kaffara (ramako) saboda Zihari (furta wa mace cewa kina kamar bayan mahaifiyata):

B – That it restricts that which is Mutlaq (unrestricted). This is like that which has come in the Qawl of Allah Ta’Aalaa as the Kaffaarah (expiation) for Azh-Zhihaar (saying to the wife that you are like my mother’s back):

Lafzin ‘watanni biyu’ (wata biyu) yana cikin Mutlaq (ba a takaita ba), kuma wannan Mutlaq an takaita shi da lafzin ‘a jere’ (a jere-jere), ta yadda abin da ake bukata shi ne azumin watanni biyu a jere, ba kawai watanni biyu ba. C – Kuma ana iya fahimtarsa bisa ga Majaaz (ma’ana ta alama) ba bisa ga Haqeeqah (ma’ana ta zahiri ba), kamar yadda yake a cikin maganar Allah (SWT):

The Lafzh (wording) ‘two months’ is Mutlaq (unrestricted) and this Mutlaq has been restricted by the Lafzh ‘consecutive’ so that what is required is to fast two consecutive months and not just two months. C – And it can be understood in accordance to the Majaaz (metaphorical meaning) and not the Haqeeqah (literal) like is found in relation to the Qawl of Allah (swt):

Al-Imam Abu Haneefah (rh) ya fahimci wannan bisa ga ma'anar Majaaz (ma'ana ta alama), don haka ya fahimci 'Laamastum' da ma'anar cewa kun yi jima'i, kuma daga nan ya yanke hukunci cewa taba da hannu ba ya karya Wudu'.

Al-Imaam Abu Haneefah (rh) understood this in accordance to the Majaaz (metaphorical meaning) and so he understood ‘Laamastum’ to mean that you have had intercourse and from that he deduced that the touching by the hand does not invalidate the Wudoo’.

2 – Wajibi ne a yi aiki da Zhaahir (ma'anar bayyane) na nassi muddin ba a tabbatar da wata Daleel (hujja) da ke nuna cewa an karkata daga wannan Zhaahir (ma'anar) ba. Hakan ya faru ne saboda asali shi ne kada a karkatar da Lafzh (kalma) daga Zhaahir (ma'anarta) sai dai idan akwai Daleel da ke nuna hakan. Misali shi ne Qawlin Allah Ta'aalaa:

2 – It is obligatory to work with its Zhaahir (apparent) meaning as long as a Daleel has not been established which dictates that the Zhaahir (meaning) is moved away from. That is because the original position is to not move the Lafzh (worded expression) away from its Zhaahir (meaning) unless there is a Daleel that dictates that. An example of that is the Qawl of Allah Ta’Aalaa:

Wannan 'Aamm (ma'ana gabaɗaya) an keɓance shi ta nau'o'in cinikayya da Shari'a (Mai Shari'a) ta haramta, kamar haramcin cinikayya da Al-Khamr (giya) ko ta hanyar jefa duwatsu (Al-Hisaah), tare da sauran cinikayya da Shari'a ta hana. Waɗannan ba sa shiga cikin 'Umoom (faɗin ma'ana) na cinikayyar halal da aka karɓo daga Zhaahir (ma'anar zahiri) na Aayah.

This ‘Aamm (general address) has been specified by the types of trading that the Shaari’ (Legislator) has made Haraam like the prohibition of trading with Al-Khamr or by the process of throwing stones (Al-Hisaah) amongst other trading that the Shaari’ has forbidden. These do not fall under the ‘Umoom (generality) of the Halaal trading that has been taken from the Zhaahir (apparent) of the Aayah.

3 – Cewa Zhaahir (ma'anar nassi a bayyane) tana iya karɓar An-Naskh (soke hukunci) a zamanin Manzon Allah ﷺ, saboda babu wani Naskh bayan Manzon Allah ﷺ.

3 – That the Zhaahir is open to accepting An-Naskh (abrogation) at the time of the Messenger of Allah (saw) because there is no Naskh (abrogation) after the Messenger (saw).