It is also impermissible to ascribe Ta'wil to AhlulSunnah as it is the opposite of their Madhhab.
On the contrary, Ta'wil is ascribed to AlAsha`irah and the other innovators in religion, who allegorically interpreted texts incorrectly.
As for the examples quoted by fellow AlSabuny that refer to Ta'wil with AhlulSunnah, they bear no argument in this point. The sayings of quoted scholars does not involve Ta'wil but explanation of the meaning and removal of confusion for some people, as regards their meanings. As for, Allah's (Exalted be He) saying, They have forgotten Allâh, so He has forgotten them. forgetting here does not really mean that mentioned in Allah's (Exalted be He) saying, and your Lord is never forgetful or in His (Exalted be He) saying, in a Record. My Lord neither errs nor He forgets. It has a meaning different form the affirmed forgetting. Forgetting is affirmed in Allah's (Exalted be He) saying, They have forgotten Allâh, so He has forgotten them. means He (Exalted be He) left them in their aberration and abandoned them because they neglected His Commands and turned away from His religion due to their hypocrisy and denial. The kind of forgetting that is disaffirmed for Allah (Exalted be He) is that which denotes amnesia and oblivion; for Allah (Exalted be He) is far above such forgetting due to His Perfect Omniscience and Encompassing Knowledge of all the affairs and conditions of His slaves. Indeed, He is the Living, the One Who sustains and protects all that exists; no slumber or sleep overtakes Him. May He be Glorified and Exalted above all this. Thus, it becomes clear that explaining forgetting to mean abandonment in Allah's (Exalted be He) saying, The hypocrites, men and women, are one from another; they enjoin (on the people) AlMunkar (i.e. disbelief and polytheism of all kinds and all that Islâm has forbidden), and forbid (people) from AlM a' rûf (i.e. Islâmic Monotheism and all that Islâm orders one to do), and they close their hands [from giving (spending in Allâh's Cause) alms.]. They have forgotten Allâh, so He has forgotten them. does not involve Ta'wil. Rather, it is a way of interpreting 'forgetfulness' in this context through its linguistic meaning, since "Nisyan" (forgetfulness) is a word that has multiple connotations and thus, its meaning differs according to its context, as explained by scholars of
exegesis (may Allah be merciful with them). Commenting on the meaning of the verse, those who forgot Allâh (i.e. became disobedient to Allâh), AlHafizh Ibn Kathir (may Allah be merciful with him) They have forgotten Allâh "That is to say, they abandoned remembrance of Allah and so Allah abandoned them i.e. He treated them in the way those who forget them do. This is like Allah's (Exalted be He) saying, And it will be said: "This Day We will forget you as you forgot the Meeting of this Day of yours." (End of quote).
Likewise, what Allah (Exalted be He) mentioned of His mocking at the mockers, scoffing at the scoffers and planning against the plotters is in no need for Ta'wil since it is stated by way of correspondence i.e. the reward corresponds with the deed. Thus, Allah's (Exalted be He) mocking at the mockers was equitable, and so was His plotting (planning) against the plotters, and scoffing at the scoffers. Moreover, what is equitable is also incomplete, and such actions are attributed to Allah (Exalted be He) because He (Exalted be He) did it in a way that befits His Majesty and Glory and that is in no way similar to the actions of the creatures. In addition, His (Exalted be He) enemies committed these actions in opposition to, disbelief in, and repudiation of the truth, so Allah (Exalted be He) rewarded them in a manner that does not resemble theirs and that is known to none other than Him (Exalted be He). Indeed, Allah willed not injustice to them, but they did injustice to themselves. Among Allah's planning against, plotting and mocking at them is giving a respite to them, granting them a delay, and deferring punishment from them. This includes the light that He shows the hypocrites on the Day of Judgment and then deprives them of it, as Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) says inSurah AlHadid, On the Day when the hypocrites men and women will say to the believers: "Wait for us! Let us get something from your light!" It will be said: "Go back to your rear! Then seek a light!" So a wall will be put up between them, with a gate therein. Inside it will be mercy, and outside it will be torment." (The hypocrites) will call the believers: "Were we not with you?" The believers will reply: "Yes! But you led yourselves into temptations, you looked forward for our destruction; you doubted (in Faith) and you were deceived by false desires, till the Command of Allâh came to pass. And the chief deceiver (Satan) deceived you in respect of Allâh."
So this Day no ransom shall be taken from you (hypocrites), nor of those who disbelieved, (in the Oneness of Allâh Islâmic Monotheism). Your abode is the Fire. That is your maulâ (friend proper place), and worst indeed is that destination.
Scholars of exegesis from AhlulSunnah also said words to the same effect. A lImam Ibn Jarir (may Allah be merciful with him) said, after quoting the sayings of scholars of exegesis on the meaning of Allah's (Exalted be He) saying, Allâh mocks at them "The correct stance of sayings and interpretations according to us is that the meaning of mocking according to the usage of the Arabs is for the one who mocks to show the one mocked, words and deeds what ostensibly satisfy him, while in fact his words and deeds would be carrying an offensive meaning (at the metaphorical level). Such is the meaning of deception, mockery and cunningness. The case being so, Allah (Glorified be He) has assigned for the hypocrites in the worldly life because of their verbal acknowledgment of Allah and His Messenger and of
what the Messenger was sent with from Allah rulings that allow them access to those covered by the name Islam, even though they (hypocrites) in reality harbor something else. He (Glorified and Exalted be He) assigned for them the rulings that apply to (true) Muslims who devoutly embrace Islam, by words as well as by hearts, sound determination, and praiseworthy deeds that bring about for them valid Iman, although He (Glorified be He) knows about their lying and is aware of their vicious beliefs and doubts in what they verbally claim; that they are believers. Thus, they thought they would be allowed passage through which the believers would pass and entrance into where they would enter. Although Allah (Glorified and Exalted be He) shows them the rulings applied to true believers in worldly life and in the Hereafter and until He distinguishes between them and His Awliya' (pious people) and separates between both He states that He is preparing for them of agonizing torment and extreme punishment what He has prepared for His archenemies and the most wicked slaves. He (Glorified be He) has distinguished between them and His Alwiya'. Thus, He would cast them into the lowest depths (grade) of the Fire as a punishment for their deeds. Indeed, this is a just punishment for them, which they have deservedly earned because they disobeyed Him. In this way, Allah through showing them that the rulings applied to His Awliya' applies to them in spite of their being His
enemies and gathering them with the believers in the Hereafter though they are liars and disbelievers until He separates them from the believers while mocking at, taunting, flouting and deceiving them. If mockery, cunningness, and deception were to mean what is mentioned above without the least injustice on His Part, this would be the meaning in all cases when the manner characterizing mocking and the likes are as stated." (End of quote)
A lHafizh Ibn Kathir (may Allah be merciful with him) said in his commentary on Allah's (Exalted be He) saying,
On the Day when the hypocrites — men and women — will say to the believers: "Wait for us! Let us get something from your light!"
Ibn Abu Hatem said, "My father told us that `Abdah Ibn Sulayman told us that Ibn Al Mubarak told us that Safwan Ibn `Amr told us that Sulaym Ibn `Amir said: "We went out with a funeral at the gateway of Damascus, accompanied by Abu Umamah AlBahily. When the funeral prayer was performed and they were burying the deceased (person), Abu Umamah said, 'O people, you are here in a place where you share good deeds and evil deeds each morning and evening. However, you are about to move away from here into another abode (referring to the grave); the abode of loneliness, the abode of darkness, the abode of worms, and the abode of narrowness, except that which Allah has made it spacious. Next, you will move from it into the spots of the Day of Resurrection. You will be at some of these spots when a Command from Allah comes upon the people, and then some faces will become white and some faces will become black. Thereupon, you will move into another abode where thick darkness will come upon the people. Then, the light will be divided; the believer will be given a light while the disbelievers and the hypocrite will be given nothing. The example of such case is given by Allah (Exalted be He) in His Book as He says,
Or [the state of a disbeliever] is like the darkness in a vast deep sea, overwhelmed with waves topped by waves, topped by dark clouds, (layers of) darkness upon darkness: if a man stretches out his hand, he can hardly see it! And he for whom Allâh has not appointed light, for him there is no light.
Hence, the disbeliever and the hypocrite will not be guided by the light of the believer, just as
the blind person is not guided by the sight of the seeing person. In turn, the hypocrite men and women will say to the believing people, Wait for us! Let us get something from your light!" It will be said: "Go back to your rear! Then seek a light!" This is the trick with which Allah deceives the hypocrites, as He says, the hypocrites seek to deceive Allâh, but it is He Who deceives them. Thus, they will return to the place where the light was divided, and there they will find nothing. Hence, they will go back to them (the believers) to find that a wall has been set up between them with a gate therein, Inside it will be mercy, and outside it will be torment. Yet, Sulaym Ibn `Amir says, "The hypocrite remains deceived until the light is divided and Allah distinguishes between the hypocrite and the believer". Then, he said: My father told us that Yahya Ibn `Uthman told us that Ibn Haywah told us that Arta'ah Ibn Al Mundhir told us that Yusuf Ibn AlHajjaj reported to us on the authority of Abu Umamah who said, "On the Day of Resurrection, Allah will send darkness; no believer or disbeliever could see the palm of his hand until Allah sends the light to the believers (in amounts) parallel to their deeds. Then, the hypocrites will follow them and say, Wait for us! Let us get something from your light! However, Al`Awfy, AlDahhak, and others reported from Ibn `Abbas: While people are in darkness, Allah sends a light and when the believers see the light, they head for it. This light is a guide from Allah to Paradise. Then, when the hypocrites see that the believers have gone ahead, they follow them. Yet, Allah drowns the hypocrites in darkness, and then they say, Wait for us! Let us get something from your light! We were with you in the worldly life. The believers reply, "Go back to your rear; to the darkness whence you have come, and seek the light therein!" (End of the words of AlHafizh Ibn Kathir).
It is evident from what Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir (may Allah be merciful with them) mentioned that mocking at, deceiving, plooting against the disbelievers and the hypocrites
are interpreted according to the literal meaning, as they do not need allegorical interpretation. For it is the right of Allah, a just punishment on them which is repaid to them in kind (of their deeds), in a way that befits Allah (Exalted be He). However, it is not similar to what has been committed by His enemies, since Allah's (Exalted be He) Attributes and Actions befit Him, and they are all Right and Just. Yet, no one knows their nature except Allah (Exalted be He). Indeed, people know of them what He (Glorified and Exalted be He) has informed in His Glorious Book or through His trustworthy Prophet (may the best of peace and blessings be upon him from his Lord).