Kuna aina mbili za maana za kudokezwa (mafhoom) zinazohusiana na hukumu iliyomo katika maana ya wazi (mantooq) ya kauli: mafhoom al-muwaafaqah, ambamo hukumu ya maana ya kudokezwa inakubaliana na ile ya mantooq; na mafhoom al-mukhaalafah, ambamo hukumu ya maana ya kudokezwa ni kinyume cha mantooq. Yaani, ikiwa hukumu imeunganishwa na sharti fulani, sifa fulani, idadi fulani, n.k., mtu anaweza kudhani kwamba hukumu hiyo haitumiki pale sharti, sifa, idadi, n.k. inapokosekana. Aina zote mbili za mafhoom zimegawanywa zaidi na baadhi ya wanazuoni; hata hivyo, tofauti zake ni nyepesi kiisimu hivi kwamba itatosha kutaja mifano michache kutoka kila moja ya aina hizi mbili kuu hapa.

There are two types of mafhoom (implied) meanings in relationship to the rule contained in the mantooq meaning of a statement: the mafhoom almuwaafaqah, in which the rule in the implied meaning agrees with that of the mantooq; and mafhoom al-mukhaalafah, in which the rule in the implied meaning is the contrapositive of the mantooq.123 That is, if a law is connected to a particular condition, trait, number, etc., one can assume the law doesn’t apply when the condition, trait, number, etc. is missing. Both of these types of mafhoom meanings have been further subdivided by some scholars; however, the differences are so linguistically fine that it will suffice to mention a few examples from each of the two main types here.

Mfano wa mafhoom al-muwaafaqah unapatikana katika aya inayokataza kuwaambia wazazi maneno makali,

An example of mafhoom al-muwaafaqah can be found in the verse prohibiting harsh words with parents,

Mantooq hapa linakataza kusema "Uff" kwa wazazi, na mafhumu yake ni kwamba kuwatukana au kuwapiga pia ni haramu. Mfano mwingine unapatikana katika aya kuhusu mali ya mayatima:

The mantooq here forbids the saying of “Uff” to parents, and the mafhoom is that cursing them or hitting them is also forbidden. Another example may be found in the verse on the property of orphans:

Mantooq inakataza kutumia vibaya mali ya yatima kwa manufaa ya mtu binafsi. Kwa mujibu wa maana iliyofichika (mafhoom), pia itakuwa haramu kuchoma mali ya yatima, kwa kuwa vitendo vyote viwili vinamnyima yatima faida ya mali yake. Katika mfano wa kuwatendea vibaya wazazi, hukumu iliyo katika mafhoom ni kali zaidi kuliko ile ya mantooq; ilhali katika mfano wa pili, zote mbili ziko katika kiwango kimoja.

The mantooq prohibits misappropriating the property of an orphan for one’s personal benefit. By implication, it would also be prohibited to burn an orphan’s money, as both acts deprive the orphan of benefit from his wealth. In the example of mistreatment of parents, the rule in the mafhoom is stronger than that of the mantooq; while in the second example, they are on the same level.

Uhalali wa kanuni zinazotokana na mafhūm al-muwāfaqah ni jambo lisilo na shaka kimantiki, na kwa sababu hiyo ni miongoni mwa misingi ya msingi inayotumiwa na wanazuoni wote wa fiqhi ya Kiislamu.126

The validity of rules derived from the mafhoom al-muwaafaqah is unquestionably logical and, as such, it is among the fundamental principles used by all of the scholars of Islaamic law.126

Wanazuoni wametofautiana, hata hivyo, kuhusu uhalali wa hoja zinazotegemea mafhoum al-mukhaalafah. Mfano wake umo katika aya isemayo,

Scholars are divided, however, on the validity of arguments based on mafhoom al-mukhaalafah. An example of it is contained in the verse,

Aya hii inadokeza kwamba habari inayoletwa na mtu mwema inapaswa kukubaliwa bila ulazima wa kuthibitishwa. Mfano mwingine umo katika aya kuhusu adhabu ya yule anayemsingizia mwanamke kwa kumtuhumu kwa uwongo kwa zinaa au uzinifu:

This verse implies that information brought by a righteous person should be accepted without the necessity of confirmation. Another example is contained in the verse on the punishment for one who slanders a woman by falsely accusing her of fornication or adultery:

Mafhoom hapa ni kwamba wanapaswa kupewa viboko themanini tu, si zaidi wala pungufu. Pia, katika aya inayohusu uwindaji wakati wa hija,

The mafhoom here is that they should be given no more nor less than eighty lashes. Also, in the verse concerning hunting during hajj,

maana ya mafhoum hapa ni kwamba kuuawa kwa mnyama kwa bahati mbaya hakulazimishi kutolewa kwa sadaka. Katika kila moja ya mifano iliyotangulia, mafhoum al-mukhaalafah hutoa hukumu sahihi. Hata hivyo, pale ambapo mantooq ni maelezo ya hali ya kawaida isiyokuwa kweli katika kila kisa, mafhoum al-mukhaalafah itakuwa si sahihi. Kwa mfano, katika aya inayokataza kuoa binti wa mke (stepdaughters),

the mafhoom meaning here is that the accidental killing of an animal does not necessitate a sacrifice. In each of the preceding cases, the mafhoom almukhaalafah yields a valid ruling. However, where the mantooq is a description of a common circumstance which is not true in all cases, the mafhoom almukhaalafah will be false. For example, in the verse prohibiting marriage to stepdaughters,

Mafhoom al-mukhaalafah ni kwamba binti wa mke wako wa kambo ambaye hayuko chini ya malezi yako anaweza kuolewa. Hata hivyo, hali si hivyo. Maneno "walioko chini ya malezi yenu" yanahusu hali ya kawaida tu, wala si sharti la kukataza. Tafsiri hii, iliyokubaliwa na madhehebu manne, inathibitishwa na ukweli kwamba aya inataja sifa mbili kwa binti hao wa kambo:

the mafhoom al-mukhaalafah is that stepdaughters not under your care may be taken in marriage. However, this is not the case. The phrase “under your care” only addresses the usual situation and not a condition of prohibition. This interpretation, agreed upon between the four math-habs, is strengthened by the fact that the verse mentions two qualifications for the step-daughters:

Inaendelea kusema wazi kwamba ikiwa sharti la pili halipo, katazo halitumiki. Haitaji kabisa ubaguzi huu pale sharti la kwanza linapokosekana.

It then goes on to explicitly state that if the second condition does not hold, the prohibition doesn’t apply. It makes no mention of this exception when the first condition is missing.

Mfano mwingine wa kosa la mafhūm al-mukhālafah ni pale ambapo al-manṭūq ni maelezo ya uhalisia fulani. Kwa mfano, aya isemayo:

The other case of an incorrect mafhoom al-mukhaalafah is when the mantooq is an explanation of a certain reality. For example, the verse,

Mafhoomu ya aya hiyo ni kwamba mtu akiwa na ushahidi wa uwepo wa mungu mwingine, anaweza kumwabudu pamoja na Allaah. Hili si sahihi, kwa kuwa hakuna ushahidi wowote halali wa uwepo wa mungu mwingine, kwani hakuna mungu mwingine yeyote aliyepo isipokuwa Allaah. Maneno "pasipo ushahidi wowote juu ya kuwa ni kweli" yaliongezwa kwa ajili ya msisitizo na kuwadhihaki wale wanaowaabudu miungu mingine (masanamu) badala ya Allaah. Kwa hiyo, wanazuoni wengi wanakubali kanuni zinazotokana na mafhoomu al-mukhaalafah mradi sharti za mantooq (yaliyotamkwa) si maelezo ya hali ya kawaida wala ufafanuzi wa uhalisia.134

The mafhoom of the verse is that if someone has proof of another god’s reality, he may worship it along with Allaah. This is incorrect, because there is no valid proof of any other god’s reality, since no other god exists besides Allaah. The phrase “with no proof of it being real” was added for emphasis and to ridicule those who worship other gods (idols) besides Allaah. Hence, the majority of scholars accept the rules derived from the mafhoom al-mukhaalafah as long as the conditions of the mantooq are not descriptions of a common circumstance or an explanation of reality.134