Some Unrestricted and General Speech Leads To Corruption When Unaccompanied By Detail and Clarification

Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah) said:

[فعلَيْكَ بالتَّفصِيلِ والتَّمييزِ فالإطْلاَقُ والإجمَالُ دُونَ بَيَا قَدْ أفْسَدَا هَذَا الوُجُودَ وخَبَّطَا الأذْهَانَ والآراءَ كُلَّ زَمَانِ   ]

So upon you is that (you) detail (affairs) and make a distinction, for unrestricted and general (speech) without clarification has indeed corrupted this existence (i.e. the world),  and (led) intellects and views (of the people) astray in every era.

Shaikh Saaleh Al-Fawzaan (hafidha-hullaah) commented on this statement of Imaam Ibnul Qayyim (rahimahullaah), saying:

There has to be detailed explanation; the one who is not proficient in detailing (an affair) should keep quiet, because benefit is not acquired from his speech. And every time error occurs, its cause is due to an absence of detailed explanation between truth and falsehood. So there has to be detailed explanation and distinction, and an absence of mixing up (affairs).

Indeed, it may be that there is something of truth and falsehood in an opponent’s statement, so all of it is neither deemed to be false nor truth, rather a distinction is to be made between its truth and falsehood. Therefore, all of it is neither rejected nor accepted; rather a distinction is made between truth and correctness and the falsehood and error in it. And if you are not proficient in detailing (an affair), then you should not enter into this arena.

[Source: At-Ta’leeqaat Al-Mukhtasar Alaa Al-Qaseedah an-Nooniyyah: Vol: 1 (page: 216)