Ibn al-Layth

In summary: when Allah, the Exalted, commands something, then it is good (ḥasan) by agreement, and when He prohibits something, then it is evil (qabīḥ) by agreement. However, the question arises—what is the source of the goodness or evil of an act? Is it:

1. That the act itself inherently possesses goodness or evil, and the command or prohibition is merely an indicator (kāshif) of that;
2. Or that the act becomes good or evil solely due to the divine command or prohibition;
3. Or that it is a combination of both

The first view is the position of the Muʿtazilah. This is why they do not permit the abrogation (naskh) of a command before its time of implementation has arrived—because to them, this would entail that a single act can simultaneously be good and evil, which is contradictory. This view was also held by Abū al-Ḥasan al-Tamīmī from the Ḥanbalī Madhab and others from among the Fuqaha.

The second view is that of the Ashʿarīs and those who follow them, such as the Dhahiris and some Fuqaha across various Madahib. These scholars hold that the causes (‘ilal) given in the Sharīʿah are merely signs (amārāt) and not intrinsic explanations. They deny the existence of a rational correlation (munāsabah) between causes and their rulings. However, these same Fuqaha often contradict this stance in their Fiqh. They sometimes align with the Ashʿarī Mutakallimeen, but in many scenarios, especially in the works of Mālikī, Shāfiʿī, and Ḥanbalī Fuqaha, they adopt positions that imply the opposite.

The third position is that the goodness or evil arises from both the act itself and the divine command or prohibition. This is the view of the leading Imams (aʾimmah) and is the practical stance adopted by the Fuqaha in their application of the Sharīʿah. For instance, sometimes a command is issued due to a wisdom found in the command itself rather than in the commanded act—this allows for such commands to be abrogated before full implementation. Examples include the reduction of the fifty prayers on the night of Miʿrāj to five, or the abrogation of the command to Ibrāhīm (peace be upon him) to sacrifice his son.”

Sharḥ al-Aṣbahāniyyah