Ba zai yi daidai ba a ce Manaat ul-Hukm ita ce dalilin Hukm (I'llatul Hukm). Ba za a iya cewa haka ba, domin maudu'in hukuncin (Manaat) ya bambanta da dalilin hukuncin ('Illah). A gaskiya akwai babban bambanci tsakanin maudu'i da dalili. 'Illah ita ce abin da ke sa a fara hukuncin, watau ita ce abin da ke nuna niyyar Mai Shari'a a bayan hukuncin. Wannan, babu shakka, yana bukatar dalili daga Shari'a wanda zai nuna ta a fili, don a fahimci cewa niyyar Mai Shari'a ce ta fara hukuncin.

It would be wrong to say that the Manaat ul-Hukm is the reason behind the Hukm (I‟llatul Hukm). This cannot be said because the subject (Manaat) of the verdict is different from the reason („Illah) of the verdict. In fact there is a big difference between the subject and the reason. The „Illah is what induces the verdict to be initiated, i.e. it is the thing that indicates the intention of the Legislator behind the verdict. This, without any doubt, requires a Shari‟ah evidence to indicate it clearly so that it is understood that it is the intention of the Legislator for initiating the verdict.

Dangane da maudu'in hukunci, shi ne maudu'in da hukunci ya shafa ko kuma yake da alaka da shi. Wato, shi ne al'amarin da hukunci ya dace da shi, ba dalilinsa ba, ba kuma 'illarsa ba. Saboda haka, al-Manaat (hakikanin al'amari) shi ne abin da hukunci ya haɗu da shi, wato an kawo hukuncin ne domin ya yi magana a kansa, ko ya warware shi. Ba daidai ba ne a ce an kawo hukuncin saboda shi, har a ce shi ne 'illar hukuncin. Al-Manaat na hukuncin Shari'a shi ne ɓangaren da ba na nassi ba na hukuncin. Fahimtarsa kuma ba ita ce fahimtar 'illa ba, kamar yadda fahimtar 'illa take fahimtar nassi ko nassoshin da suka zo suna tabbatar da 'illar.

As for the subject of the verdict, this is the subject upon which the verdict applies or to which the verdict is related. In other words, it is the issue which the verdict conforms and not its evidence nor its reason („Illah). It therefore, follows that the Manaat (reality) is the thing which the verdict is attached to, i.e. the verdict is brought to deal with it, or solve it. It is incorrect to say that the verdict is brought because of it, so as to say that it is the „Illah behind the verdict. The Manaat of the verdict is the non-textual aspect of the Shari‟ah verdict. To comprehend it would be other than to comprehend the „Illah. As comprehending the „Illah would be to understand the text or texts which had come to justify the „Illah.

Misali, giya haramun ce, kuma hukuncin shari'a shi ne haramta giya. Binciken ko wani abin sha giya ne ko a'a, domin a yanke hukuncin cewa haramun ne, bincike ne na Manaat. Wajibi ne a yi nazari ko abin shan giya ne ko a'a, domin a faɗi cewa haramun ne. Wannan bincike game da hakikanin giya tabbatarwa ce ta Manaat. Wani misalin kuma: hukuncin shari'a shi ne ruwan Mutlaq (wanda ba a takaita shi ba) ne ya halatta a yi alwala da shi. Don haka binciken ko ruwan mutlaq ne ko mukayyad (wanda aka takaita) domin a yanke hukunci a kansa cewa halal ne a yi alwala da shi, tabbatarwa ce ta Manaat. Saboda haka, wajibi ne a yi nazarin ruwan don sanin ko mutlaq ne ko mukayyad. Wannan nazari game da hakikanin ruwan kawai tabbatarwa ce ta Manaat, kuma babu ruwansa da 'Illar Hukuncin. Haka nan, mutumin da ya yi Hadath (ya fitar da wani abu daga baya ko gaba) dole ne ya yi alwala don sallah. Saboda haka, tabbatar da cewa mutumin mai Hadath ne ko ba mai Hadath ba, tabbatarwa ce ta Manaat.

For example, alcohol is Haram, the divine law is the prohibition of alcohol. The investigation that a certain drink is alcohol or not, so as to judge it as Haram or not is an investigation of the Manaat. It is necessary to study whether the drink is alcohol or not in order to state that it is Haram. This investigation of the reality of alcohol is a verification of the Manaat. Another example is the divine law that the Mutlaq (absolute, unrestricted) water is the one which is allowed for Wudhu. So the investigation as to whether the water is unrestricted or restricted in order to judge upon it as allowed for Wudhu, is a verification of the Manaat. Therefore, it is necessary to study the water to determine if it is free or restricted. This study of the reality of the water is simply the verification of the Manaat and nothing to do with the „Illah of the Hukm. Similarly, a person who made Hadath (discharged something from back or front) has to make Wudhu for the prayer, therefore the verification that the person is Mohdath (impure) or not Mohdath is a verification of the Manaat.

Malamin Maliki sanannen, Imam al-Shatibi (d. 780 bayan Hijira), ya ce a littafinsa Al-Muwafaqat: "Wadannan al'amura da makamantansu wadanda muka wajaba mu bayyana Manaat dinsu dole ne su dauki shaida a kansu bisa ga hakikanin kowane lamari." Ya kuma kara da cewa: "Ijtihadi na iya kasancewa da alaka da tabbatar da Manaat, don haka ba ya bukatar sanin manufofin Mai shari'a (Allah), kuma ba ya bukatar sanin harshen Larabci, domin manufar wannan Ijtihadi ita ce sanin al'amarin yadda yake. Don haka yana bukatar sanin abin da ba za a iya gane wannan al'amari ba tare da shi." Binciken 'Illah yana da alaka da fahimtar nassi daga Ayoyi ko Hadisai, saboda haka aikin Mujtahid ne cancantacce. Amma tabbatar da Manaat, kamar tabbatar da ko ruwa barasa ne, bincike ne na hakikanin abu wanda shi ne maudu'in Shari'a. Saboda haka, ba sharadi ba ne cewa wanda ke tabbatar da Manaat ya zama Mujtahid ko Musulmi, amma ya isa ya zama mai ilimi a kan al'amarin.

The famous Maliki scholar Imam al-Shatibi (d. 780 A.H.) said in the book Al-Muwafaqat: “These subjects and the like which we necessitated to define the Manaat must take the evidence about it according to the reality of every incident.” And he further states: “Ijtihad could be connected with the verification of the Manaat, and thus it does not require the knowledge of the aims of the lawgiver (Allah), nor does it require the knowledge of the Arabic language, because the aim of this Ijtihad is knowing the subject as it is. So it requires the knowledge of what this subject can‟t be recognised without.” The investigation of the „Illah is related to the understanding of the text from the Ayat or Ahadith and therefore it is the work of a qualified Mujtahid. Whereas the verification of the Manaat such as the verification of whether a liquid is alcohol is the investigation of the reality of a thing that is the subject of the Shari‟ah. Accordingly, it is not a condition that the one who verifies the Manaat be a Mujtahid or a Muslim, but it is enough that he or she to be knowledgeable of the matter.