Is there a relationship between jurisprudential maxims (al-Qawa'id al-Fiqhiyyah) and matters of creed ('Aqidah), and is it permissible to apply jurisprudential maxims to matters of creed, as some muftis do?

The juristic maxims (al-Qawa'id al-Fiqhiyyah) are general rulings that define the judgments of jurisprudential issues. They constitute a great science indispensable for the jurist, as they organize jurisprudence and eliminate the need to memorize individual details.

The science of juristic maxims differs from the science of creed (aqeedah) in subject matter. The former deals with practical Sharia rulings, while the latter is concerned with matters of faith and the unseen.

However, there is a connection between some juristic maxims and matters of creed, especially the rulings concerning disbelief and faith. These include:

1. Certainty is not dispelled by doubt: If one's faith is established with certainty, they are not to be removed from it except by certainty, as stated by Ibn Hajar al-Haytami and Shaykh Sulaiman bin Abdullah bin Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab. 2. Matters are judged by their intentions: One who utters words of disbelief by mistake or under duress is not judged as a disbeliever because they do not intend disbelief, based on the Almighty's saying: (And there is no blame upon you for that in which you have erred, but [only for] what your hearts intended) [Al-Ahzab/5], and His saying: (Except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith) [An-Nahl/106]. 3. Hardship brings ease (Necessities permit the forbidden): One who utters words of disbelief out of necessity is not judged as a disbeliever, based on the same verse: (Except for one who is forced [to renounce his religion] while his heart is secure in faith) [An-Nahl/106].