Itakuwa si sahihi kusema kwamba Manaat ul-Hukm ndiyo sababu ya Hukm (I'llatul Hukm). Haiwezi kusemwa hivyo kwa sababu kitu kinachohukumiwa (Manaat) cha hukumu ni tofauti na sababu ('Illah) ya hukumu. Kwa kweli kuna tofauti kubwa kati ya kitu kinachohukumiwa na sababu. 'Illah ni kile kinachosababisha hukumu kuanzishwa, yaani ni jambo linaloonyesha nia ya Mwekaji Sheria nyuma ya hukumu. Hili, bila shaka yoyote, linahitaji dalili ya Shari'ah inayolionyesha wazi, ili ieleweke kwamba ni nia ya Mwekaji Sheria ya kuanzisha hukumu hiyo.

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.

Kuhusu mada ya hukumu, hii ni mada ambayo hukumu inatumika juu yake au ambayo hukumu inahusiana nayo. Kwa maneno mengine, ni jambo ambalo hukumu inalingana nalo, na si dalili yake wala sababu yake („Illah). Kwa hiyo, inafuata kwamba Manaat (uhalisia) ni kitu ambacho hukumu imeambatanishwa nacho, yaani hukumu imekuja kushughulika nacho, au kulitatua. Si sahihi kusema kwamba hukumu imekuja kwa sababu yake, hata kusema kwamba ndiyo „Illah nyuma ya hukumu. Manaat ya hukumu ni upande usio wa kimaandishi wa hukumu ya Shari‟ah. Kuifahamu si sawa na kuifahamu „Illah, kwa kuwa kuifahamu „Illah ni kuelewa maandiko au maandiko yaliyokuja kuthibitisha „Illah hiyo.

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.

Kwa mfano, pombe ni Haram, na hukumu ya Sharia ni kukatazwa kwa pombe. Uchunguzi wa kubaini kama kinywaji fulani ni pombe au si pombe, ili kukihukumu kuwa Haram au si Haram, ni uchunguzi wa Manaat. Ni lazima kuchunguza kama kinywaji hicho ni pombe au la, ili kusema kuwa ni Haram. Uchunguzi huu wa hakika ya pombe ni uthibitishaji wa Manaat. Mfano mwingine ni hukumu ya Sharia kwamba maji Mutlaq (yasiyo na kizuizi) ndiyo yanayoruhusiwa kwa Wudhuu. Kwa hiyo, uchunguzi wa kubaini kama maji ni Mutlaq au Muqayyad (yenye kizuizi), ili kuyahukumu kuwa yanaruhusiwa kwa Wudhuu, ni uthibitishaji wa Manaat. Hivyo, ni lazima kuchunguza maji ili kubaini kama ni huru au yana kizuizi. Uchunguzi huu wa hakika ya maji ni uthibitishaji wa Manaat tu, na hauhusiani na 'Illah ya Hukm. Vivyo hivyo, mtu aliyetoa Hadath (kitu kilichotoka nyuma au mbele) lazima atawadhe kwa ajili ya Sala. Kwa hiyo, uthibitishaji kwamba mtu huyo ni Mohdath (si safi kiibada) au si Mohdath ni uthibitishaji wa 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.

Imam al-Shatibi (d. 780 A.H.), mmoja wa wanazuoni maarufu wa madhehebu ya Maliki, alisema katika kitabu chake Al-Muwafaqat: “Mambo haya na yanayofanana nayo, ambayo tulilazimika kuyabainisha kwa ajili ya kutambua Manaat, yanapaswa kuchukua dalili juu yake kulingana na uhalisia wa kila tukio.” Aidha, anaongeza: “Ijtihadi inaweza kuhusishwa na uthibitishaji wa Manaat, na hivyo haihitaji kujua malengo ya Mwenye kutunga Sharia (Allah), wala haihitaji kujua lugha ya Kiarabu, kwa sababu lengo la Ijtihadi hii ni kujua jambo lilivyo. Hivyo inahitaji kujua yale ambayo jambo hili haliwezi kutambulika bila hayo.” Uchunguzi wa ‘Illah unahusiana na kuelewa maandishi kutoka katika Aya au Hadith, na kwa hiyo ni kazi ya Mujtahid mwenye sifa. Ama uthibitishaji wa Manaat, kama vile kuthibitisha kama kimiminika fulani ni pombe, ni uchunguzi wa uhalisia wa kitu ambacho ni kiini cha Sharia. Kwa hiyo, si sharti kwamba anayethibitisha Manaat awe Mujtahid au Mwislamu, bali inatosha awe na ujuzi wa jambo husika.

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.