What is the explanation of the words of Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi in his commentary, "Al-Bahr al-Muhit": "And diverting a word from the preponderant to the less preponderant must be supported by a separate دليل (evidence/proof). If it is verbal, it is only complete upon the occurrence of contradiction, and preferring one over the other is not more valid than the reverse. And there is no decisiveness in verbal دليل, whether it is a definitive text (نص) or more preponderant, because it depends on probabilistic matters, and that is not permissible in fundamental issues (المسائل الأصولية). Therefore, resorting to the less preponderant does not occur by means of decisive rational indication. And if its deviation from its apparent meaning is known, there is no need to specify the intended meaning, because that would be preferring one figurative meaning over another figurative meaning, and one interpretation over another interpretation"?

Words are to be taken at their apparent meaning and are not to be diverted from it except with a separate, conflicting proof. A definitive (qaṭʿī) proof is not to be given precedence over a probabilistic (ẓannī) one in verbal evidences, because they are probabilistic due to their dependence on probabilistic matters.

If verbal evidences are probabilistic, then they are not to be acted upon in Usuli matters according to the Mutakallimūn who rely on rational proof, claiming it to be definitive. One only resorts to the less preferred meaning when there is a conclusive rational proof for the impossibility of the apparent meaning.

If there is a conflict with the probabilistic verbal evidence, and there is a conclusive proof for the impossibility of its apparent meaning, then it is sufficient to say that it is diverted from its apparent meaning, without specifying the preferred meaning. Rather, the outcome is to relegate the knowledge (tafwīḍ) in Usuli matters.