ثم المجاز عند أبي حنيفة خلف عن الحقيقة في حق اللفظ
For Abu Hanifa, figurative meaning substitutes for literal meaning with respect to the word's signification.
وعندهما: خلف عن الحقيقة في حق الحكم
For the two companions, the substitution is described in relation to the ruling associated with the original meaning.
This distinction asks a precise question: if the literal relation is itself impossible, may the expression nevertheless produce a legal consequence through an acceptable figurative meaning? Abu Hanifa's analysis places weight on transfer at the level of linguistic expression; the companions' analysis gives greater effect to the possibility of the original legal referent and its substitution.
The chapter uses “This is my son” when said of an enslaved person older than the speaker to illustrate the difference. Actual paternity is impossible, but Abu Hanifa's interpretation permits a manumission consequence by figurative transfer whereas the two companions do not derive it in the same way. The disagreement concerns conditions for effective figurative meaning.