2.mystical Interpretation of The Qur Ān

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Mystical interpretation of the Qurʿān
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Burhan Journal of Qur'anic Studies www.academicpress.org
ISSN 2383-2932 (Online)
Vol 01, No.01, 2016
Mystical interpretation of the Qurʿān
Seyed AmirHossein Asghari
sasghari@indiana.edu
Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Indiana University, USA
Abstract:
Interpretation of the verses of Qurʿān, has a history back to the early revelation. Muslims believe that Qurʿān
is the word of God, which is revealed to Muhammad, and therefore, understanding the real purpose of the
Qurʿān, is vital. Reading the Qurʿān, for traditional Muslims was not like reading a scientific or historical
text, it was rather encountering with a metaphysical reality that is formulated in the form of the letters, words,
verses and chapters with the goal of educating man to realize his/her potential faculties in becoming what
he/she is created for. In this encounter with a sacred reality that connected them to the both visible and
invisible realm, they sought to find out the core meaning of the revealed message. The text in a way was such
as a mirror in which everyone who tried to look at it saw himself. If he/she was a philosopher, jurist,
theologian or a Sufi, he was interpreting through his own terms. As Shams-iTabrīzīdescribes it in his Maqālāt:
For the travelers and the wayfarers, each verse of the Koran is like a message and a
love-letter [ʿishq-nāma]. They know the Koran. He presents and discloses the beauty
1
of the Koran to them.
If for the wayfarer (Sālīk) it is a love-letter, for jurist it seemsmore to be source of law, or for philosopher a
book to find arguments. Commentators on the Qurʿān from the beginning of Islam to the present day have
shown us the mirror in which they saw it and shared its content with us.
As noted above, the Qurʿān for Sufis was a love-letter. Not only the Qurʿān, rather the act of creation
according to Sufism is result of love. Sufis mostly narrate the following tradition to allude to the reason of
1
Chittick, In Search of the Lost Heart: Explorations in Islamic Thought, 2012, pp. 58-9
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
creation: “I was a hidden treasure; I loved to be known. Hence I created the world so that I would be known.” 2
Within the essentiality of love for Sufism, and also the necessity of knowing the creature, when a Sufi reads
the Scripture, he sees a love letter in which God addresses man on how to find the path to the eternal abode.
According to Sufi interpretation, the one who created the world out of love has sent man a love-letter. As it
is written by love, it should be read with love.
Keywords: Qurʿān, Interpretation, Mysticism, Sufism, Ta’wīl
Mysticism, Sufism communion with ultimate
The term “mystic” according to some, refers to reality reported by mystics
something that is hidden or concealed. In 2: the belief that direct
religious language it alludes to ““hidden” knowledge of God,
allegorical interpretations of Scriptures and to spiritual truth, or ultimate
hidden presences” 3. There is however, a term reality can be attained
like mystical experience that in a wide sense through subjective
according to Gellman and Zalta refers to experience (as intuition or
“granting acquaintance of realities or states of insight)
affairs that are of a kind not accessible by way 3 a: vague speculation: a
of sense perception, somatosensory modalities, belief without sound basis
or standard introspection.” 4 b : a theory postulating
Webster's Third edition gives three definitions the possibility of direct and
as follow: intuitive acquisition of
1 : the experience of ineffable knowledge or
mystical union or direct power. 5
2
Majlisi, 1404 H, p. 199
3
Gellman, Jerome, Edward N. Zalta, 2014
4
Gellman, Jerome, Edward N. Zalta, 2014)
5
Webster, 2014
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
As William Chittick shows in “mysticism in For its strong negative connotations some
Islam,” if one accepts the first meaning of the authors prefer to use the term Sufism in Islamic
Webster’s account of mysticism, then “Surely content, rather than using the term mysticism. 8
those who have any sympathy with religion Then Sufism in Islam is a theoretical and
would agree that religion, without some sort of practical tendency to ascetics, love, poverty
communion with ultimate reality, would have (faqr) in one’s communication with God and
nothing to distinguish it from a merely human knowledge of Him (ma’rifah) through self-
6
construction.” In this definition as religion knowledge. Therefore:
in its very foundation connects or Scholars associated with
communicates with the ultimate reality or God, Sufism developed a
then religion will be equal to mysticism, and as distinctive methodology.
many people who follow religion in one way or With good reason, their
another seek to communicate with the ultimate approach has often been
reality, then it is not a “vague speculation” as called "mystical."
defined in the third stage by Webster, for if it is Webster's second
then religion per se is a vague speculation. definition of mysticism
Therefore, religiously speaking, “The tells us that it can mean
experience of communion with ultimate reality "the doctrine or belief that
lies at the foundation of religion, and the quest direct knowledge of God,
for such communion has always motivated the of spiritual truth, or

7
practice of religious people.” In this sense ultimate reality . . . is
mysticism lies in the heart of religion. attainable through
6
Chittick, Mysticism in Islam, 2003
7
Kennedy Center forInternational Studies, Brigham Young
8 University, May 2003.

. For a fine explanation of this usage, see: Chittick, William,
Mysticism and Islam, A lecture delivered at the David M.
Page | 29
Vol 01, No.01, 2016
immediate intuition, theQurʿān in a wide range is mystical. In
insight, or illumination and contrary, some scholars such as Ignaz
in a way differing from Goldziher (1850-1921) tend to interpret the
ordinary sense perception mystical reading of Qurʿān as, “the reading of
or ratiocination." This one’s own ideas into a text”. In other word, he
doctrine is certainly means that the Qurʿān not only has no
characteristic of the Sufi mystical/inner aspects; rather whatever Sufis
approach to understanding attributed to the Qurʿān as mystical or spiritual
God and the world. 9 meaning is their own readings that has no
Sufis, based on their understanding of the origin in Qurʿān. According to this view
Qurʿān and prophetic narrations, have stressed attributing a mystical dimension to Qurʿān is a
that the words of Qurʿān have both inner and biased reading of the text. On the other hand,
outer sides. One should not stop in reading the scholars such as Louis Massignon, (1883-1962)
book in its outer meaning;rather should try and Paul Nwyia in their research tried to show
hard to gain the inner meaning. how mystical reading of the Qurʿān is result of
“Since Sufism represents the inner aspect of “a dialogue between personal, mystic
Islam its doctrine is in substance an esoteric experience, and the text of the Qurʿān 11
As
commentary on the Qurʾān.” 10

Meanwhile Sands alludes “Both Massignon and Nwyia
they stress that their reading of Qurʿān is not insisted that the Qurʿānic text remains primary
neglecting the outer meaning; rather it is a way for the Sufi; that is to say, the Muslim mystic
from outward to inner aspects. does not impose his own ideas on the Qurʿānic
text, but rather discovers ideas in the course of
Qurʿān’s Mystical aspects his experiential dialogue with the text.” 12

In
If mysticism alludes to inner aspects, then fact according to Goldziher, mystical or Sufi
9 11
Chittick, 2003 Sands, 2006, p. 2
10 12
Burckhardt, 2008 Sands, 2006, p. 2
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
reading of the Qurʿān has appeared in the latter Hanbalites, they believed
history of Islam and thereupon it is alien to it. that God has given his last
This approach in a way searches to find any word to humans by
witness in the early Islamic history or in the transmitting through the
Qurʿān to show that whether Islam supports the Koran and the Sunna all
Sufi reading or not. It however contains that He wished them to
historical methodology in Islamic studies, on learn, and that this final
the other hand it lakes the comprehensive revelation is intelligible to
understanding of it. In this reading finding a anybody without special
historical document may prove a dimension of knowledge.” 13
Islam, while not finding it causes its denial. As shown above, historical reading may deny
Historical encountering with the Sacred is not mystical understanding of the Qurʿān. One way
always helpful, especially when one ponders to have a more accurate reading is the
upon the mystical concepts. Qurʿān may lead phenomenological approach. In this approach
to spirituality but may not use the term Sufism, even if the term Sufism, has appeared in the
historical studying of Islam, in such a way may latter Islamic history, still one cannot ignore the
deny the mystical aspect of Qurʿān or Islam. mystical aspects of Qurʿān. This is for the fact
Not only in some Western reading of the that analyzing the relation between
Qurʿān, but within the Muslims scholarship of Qurʿān/Islam and mysticism/ Sufism is not
the Qurʿān, there has been disagreement of the assessed through asking questions such as
Sufi reading of the Scripture: whether mysticism could be a state within the
“For Ebn al-Jawzī and Ebn other states of Islam. Later historical
Taymīya ʿelm al-bāṭen appearance of an idea or way of thought does
was an inadmissible not necessarily mean that it is not derived from
innovation; like all Islam or has no dependence to the primary
13
Radtke, 1988
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
source. If in the nature and phenomenon of except God," it is the implicit verses whose
Islam, i.e. its reality, one can find the essence interpretation (ta’wīl) is known only to
of Sufi understanding, even if Sufism as a term God.” 15
has appeared only in the later Islamic period, The Arabic wordta’wīl is driven from a-w-
yet it dose not mean that Sufi reading of the l, a root that means returning to the original.
Qurʿān is “the reading of one’s own ideas into Generally, inQurʿānic sciences it also has two
a text”. meanings.The first one refers to justifying the
ambiguous (Mutashabih)_that is providing an
Mystical reading of the Qurʿān intellectual meaning for it. The Interpreter in
Early generation of Muslim scholars this case refers the ambiguous to a direction
according AllāmaTabātabā’ī used the word that is harmonious with its meaning. This is
Ta'wīl(Qurʿānic hermeneutics) to refer to like what is (18:78) in the story of Moses and
commentary or tafsīr. 14There is considerable al-Khiḍr,: “I will inform you about the
disagreement as to the meaning of interpretation(ta’wīl) of that over which you
exegesis, ta'wīl, and it is possible to count could not maintain patience.” In this example,
more than ten different views. There are, al-Khiḍr tries to inform Moses of the secrets of
however, two views which have gained things that he was not able to understand and
general acceptance. The first one is that of the had no patience for them. Therefore
early generation of scholars who used the justifyingthe ambiguous words or actions is
word exegesis, ta'wiīl, as a synonym for calledta’wīl and thus the first meaning of ta’wīl
commentary, or tafsir. is merely to unveil theambiguous verses of the
Tabātabā’īagrees that “According to this Qurʿān.
viewall Qur'anic verses are open According to the second definition,ta’wīl
to ta'wilalthough according to the verse, includes a meaning that the outer aspect of
"nobody knows its interpretation (ta’wīl) the verse does not mention and the
14 15
Tabataba'i, 1987 Tabataba'i, 1987, p. 54
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
interpreter deduces it from an external primary domains of human
argument. Therefore it is called esoteric concern. These can be
(bātinī)just as the first meaning of the verse is called body, mind, and
called exoteric (Ẓāhirī). Ta’wīl, as it is defined spirit; or doing, knowing,
in the second definition, includes all the and being. The body is the
Qurʿānic verses, not only the ambiguous ones realm of activity, ritual
as mentioned in the first definition. Sufis by observance, and social
referring to the layers and levels of the reality relationships. The mind is
and existence, apply the same levels for the the realm of perceiving,
verses of Qurʿān. As the Qurʿān puts it: “He believing, knowing, and
is the First and the Last, the Manifest and the understanding. The spirit is
Hidden.”(57:3)Therefore, his book has such the realm of the deepest
levels. awareness of self and of
Like the Qurʿān’sstress on gaining direct communion with
knowledge and understanding, prophetic ultimate reality, which is
traditions (hadith) also follow the same path: God, or true and real
"The search for knowledge is incumbent upon Being. 16
everyMuslim, male and female." As mentioned above, mystics/Sufis in Islamic
Asserting the unity of God and communicating tradition sought to find the real purpose of the
with Him is not possible unless one revelation. Sufi literature indicates that Qurʿān
knowswhom is he/she talking to or worshiping. has been revealed to educate man and show
If the subject of knowledge is the ultimate him the path of his/her perfection.
reality then; ĀyatullāhKhomeinī (1902-1989), while
like any great religion, indicating that his interpretation is only a
Islam addresses three possible interpretation of the Qurʿān, (Light
16
Page | 33
Vol 01, No.01, 2016
Within Me)in one of his mystical works alludes Allah. Even our great
to this point: commentators of the
If we do look at its teaching Qur'an are very much
and educational side, we concerned about one or
concern ourselves with its another of the said affairs,
eloquence and syntax and without opening the door
its miraculous aspects, or of learning to the people. 17
even somewhat higher, we Nevertheless, a proper ta’wīl
engage ourselves with its according to Sufism, aside from ones
history, the occasions of mastering in sciences of Qurʿān,
the revelation of the āyahs, requires self-purification in order to
the times of their make one able to receive the lights of
revelation, which sūrahor the inner aspects of Qurʿān.
āyahwas revealed in
Mecca and which in A short historical background (from 8th to
Medina, the differences in 12century)
recitations and in the Bāṭin or inner is opposite of outer or ẓāhir.
exegeses of the Sunnis and BothBāṭinand ẓāhir are among God’s Most
the Shī'ah and other beautiful names (al-Asmaʾ al-Husnā). The
secondary affairs which Qurʿān describes God asal-ẓāhir wa’l-bāṭin.
are outside the main (57:3)Sufis by mentioning some narrations of
objective and they Muhammad (sw) believe that the first person
themselves cause us to be who ascribed to have inner and outer sides to
barred from the Qur'an and the Qurʿānwas Prophet himself. Ibn Masʿud
to neglect remembering has narrated from Muhammad that he said
17
Khomeini, 1996, p. 124
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
Qurʿān has both Bāṭin and ẓāhir: `Ali, the son-in-law of Muḥammad, and the
The messenger of God first Imām of the Shi’ite Islam also ascribes
said, “The Qurʿān was Qurʿān for having the inner and outer sides. He
sent down in seven ahruf mentions that “Certainly the outside of the
[letters].Each harf[letter] Qur'an is wonderful and its inside is deep (in
has a back (ẓāhir) and and meaning).” 20
belly (Bāṭin). Each harf Or in other instances such as:
has a border(hadd) and “If I had wished, I could
each border has a lookout have loaded seventy
point (muttala).” 18 camels with commentary
There are other traditionsofProphet that on the Fātiha of the
alludes to the point that each verses of Qurʿān Book….For the one who
has bāṭin and ẓāhir andeach letter of it has understands the Qurʿān,
ta’wīl that only God and those firmly thereby whole bodies of
grounded in knowledge know. The Qurʿān knowledge are
itself says “But no one knows its interpretation explained.” 21
(Ta’wīl) except Allah and those firmly Companions of Muhammad have also alluded
grounded in knowledge” (3:7). to inner interpretation of the Qurʿān.
“According to a saying of the Prophet, “no ʿAbdAllāh ibn al-ʿAbbās(born c. 619—died
verse of the Qurʾān has been revealed which 687/688),as one of the early Qurʿān scholars
has not an external aspect and an inner aspect. while interpreting the chapter victory (al-
Every letter has its definite sense (ḥadd) and Fath)moving beyond the outer meaning of the
every definition implies a place of ascent verses concludes that this chapter alludes to the
(maṭlaʿ).” 19 death of Muhammad.
18
Khomeini, 1996, p. 124 20
Bihār al-Anwār, 1404 H, pp. 284, vol.2
19
Burckhardt, 2008 21
Bihār al-Anwār, pp. 89, Vol 93
Page | 35
Vol 01, No.01, 2016
Likewise the followers (Tābi‘ūn), have used within the Muslim community and the Qurānīc
ta’wīl not only in ambiguous verses but also to context.
the other ones, that had been revealed in within After the followers(Tābi‘ūn), ta’wīl spread
a clear occasions or circumstances of more in the first half of the 2nd Islamic century.
revelation (Asbāb al-nuzūl). There exist many The translation and spreading Greek
examples of this kind that are attributed to philosophical and theological heritage among
Muḥammad ibn ‘Alī al-Bāqir (676-733 AD) the Muslims made them to have deeper
and Ja`far ibn Muḥammad al-Ṣādiq (702–765) contemplations upon their own Scripture.
both descendant of Ali. Al-Ṣādiqfor instance, Muslims considered ta’wīlof the Qurʿān as a
characterizes the letters of Qurʿān as follows: way to encounter the new cultural era. Tustari
The Book of God has four (d. 283/89)in the third Islamic century wrote a
things: the clear expression short commentary on Qurʿān that was totally
(ibāra), the allusion an esoteric(bāṭini)interpretation.He mentioned
(ishāra), subtleties (latā’if) that the Qurʿān"contained several levels of
and realities (haqā’iq). The meaning", which included the outer or zahir
clear expression is for the and the inner or batin” 23, a century later Abu
common people 'Abdarrahmān as-Sulamī (937-1021) wrote his
(‘awāmm), the allusion is Haqa'iq at-tafsir in which according to as-
for the elite (khawāṣ), the Sulamī made two essential points:
subtleties are for the “First,he explicitlystates
friends (awlīyā’), and the that he combinedtwo
realities are for the categoriesof contentin his
prophets (anbīyā’). 22
work: ayāt, glosses or
Thus, the language of al-Ṣādiq imprint the interpretivecommentson
early stages of “īrfānī interpretation” from Qur'anic phrases,and
22 23
Sands, 2006, p. 12 Glasse, 2008, p. 393
Page | 36
Vol 01, No.01, 2016
aqwāl, Sufi sayingson seized red sulfur, whohave
topics promptedby a key dived into its depths and
term drawn from such taken out red rubies,
phrases.” 24 shining pearlsand green
A good deal of attention toward inner chrysolite, who have
interpretation of Qurʿān, in fifth Islamic roamed its shores and
century appeared in the works of Abu Hāmid gathered grayambergris
Muhammad al-Ghazālī (1058-1111), Ahmad and fresh blooming aloes
Sam’ānī (d.1140) and Abu al-Qāsim al- wood, who have clung to
Qushayrī (d. 1074). Ghazalī in his book, its islandsand found an
“Jawāhir al-Qurʿān” makes it clear that dealing abundance in their animals
merely with the outward of the Qurʿān is like of the greatest antidote
staying in the shore of the sea and closing the andpungent musk? 25
eye to its inner wonders: It was in this period that concept of mutual love
Haven’t you heard that the between man and God was more than before
Qurʿān is an ocean from expressed. These authors some time were
which theknowledge of all calling their readers as Chevalier (Persian:
ages branches out just as Jawanmard) as Chittick puts, “indicating not
rivers and streams branch who the readers are, but what they should be
outfrom the shores of the striving to become, namely, people of perfect
ocean? Don’t you envy the virtue, wisdom, generosity, kindness, and
happiness of peoplewho compassion.” 26
have plunged into its Rashid al-Din Meybudīin his Kashf al-Asrār
overflowing waves and made another Sufi commentary to Qurʿān. He
24 26
Böwering, 1996 Chittick, Divine Love, 2013, p. xxii
25
Al-Ghazali, 1983
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
gives three levels of interpretation to each guards the hearts in His
verse that he interprets. In the first level he grasp. He is the All-
gives a Persian translation of the Arabic verse Merciful who makes subtle
with some grammatical explanation, in the lights appear in your face,
second level he deals with the history of the and He is the Ever-
Qurʿānic commentary and explains how prior merciful who places secret
commentators dealt with the verse. His third deposits in your heart. 27
level of interpretation is an With emergence of Ibn ‘Arabī (1165-1240) the
esotericinterpretation of the verse. It is in the language of mystical interpretation shifted
third level that he applies is a perfect use of toward a more complex terminology. He
Sufi language. Below is an example of his third established a new style of mystical writing that
level commentary to “the compassionate, the after him was called the school of Ibn ‘Arabī.
merciful”: Almost all of his writings have dealt with
He is the All- Merciful who Qurʿānic verses, and he has suggested his
accepts the servants’ commentaries based on an esoteric
obedience, even if it understanding.
islittle, and He is the Ever- Sayyed Bahāʾ-al-Dīn Ḥaydar Āmolī(1320-
Merciful who forgives 1385),a profound scholar of eighth Islamic
their disobedient acts even century, after Ibn ‘Arabi, completed his seven
if they are great. He is the volume exegesis of the Qurʿān, al-Moḥīṭ al-
All- Merciful who adorns aʿẓam, in 1375-76. He tried to join the Shi’a
outwardness and sculpts mystical understanding of the Qurʿān with the
the form, and He is the Sufi approach. Āmolī’s commentary is one of
Ever- Merciful who makes the very important contributions of
inwardness flourish and Sufi/Shi’a approach toward understanding
27
Meybudi, Rashid al-Din, William Chittick, 2014
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
the Qurʿān. Kohlberg emphasizes that the God, join his blessing, annihilating in Him,
significance of āmolī, remains in two point, characterizing one with God’s Character traits.
“First, he was an early proponent of the thesis On the otherhandQurʿān, as a word of God for
that Imamite Shiʿism, which combines the Sufis is a mirror by looking in which everyone
šarīʿa, ṭarīqa, and ḥaqīqa, is identical with finds a description of him/herself.
Sufism… Second, Āmolī was an early example In their commentaries, Sufi’s more or less use
of a long line of Imamite thinkers (stretching to same terminology. Among them one can allude
our own day) who incorporated the thought of to the followings: Love (Hub), Poverty (Faqr),
Ebn al-ʿArabī and his followers into their Fana, Baqa, Kashf, intimacy with God,
writings.” 28 (uns)Unveiling (kashf), Taste (dhuq), Trust
The mystical approach to understand (Amanat).
Qurʿān, has continued to our present day. The story of love begins with creation, God
Nevertheless one cannot ignore the effect of according to Sufi tradition created the man out
Ibn ‘Arabi’s school of to the later of Love. God knows himself and loves himself,
generations. then he creates man to love him. Upon creation,
God talks to (primordial) man: Am I not your
Sufi Terminology Lord? Man answers: Yes. Then a covenant
follows. The Qurʿān puts the story as below:
Sufi language and its interpretation of the And (remember) when thy
Qurʿān is rather a universal language. Every Lord brought forth from
one with a sense of spiritual understanding, the Children of Adam,
whether a Muslim or not,can grasp the state of from their reins, their seed,
the author. This is exactly for the point that the and made them testify of
main issue of Sufis in their works is a mutual themselves, (saying): Am I
love between man and God. Seeking to find not your Lord? They said:
28
Kohlberg, 2011
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
Yea, verily. We testify. do? Sufis allude to the verse wherein God ask
(That was) lest ye should man to:
say at the Day of Say, (O Muhammad, to
Resurrection: Lo! of this mankind): If ye love Allah,
we were unaware. (7:172) follow me; Allah will love
Man, for what Qurʿān describes as you and forgive you your
forgetfulness of God, forgets his covenant and sins. Allah is Forgiving,
God sends him prophets and books to remind Merciful. (3:31)
him of that love and the fact that he/she must Meibodi in his mystical interpretation of the
return to his/her everlasting abode. It is above verse, stresses upon the necessity of
noteworthy that according to Sufi tradition, following and learning from the example to
creation has two arcs.One is the arc of descent Muhammad:
and the other one is the arc of ascent. The call came from the
Now, in the position that man has, he must Real: “Whatever drink
start his arc of ascent after being in descent. His comes to you from the
forgetfulness makes him to be far from his auspicious hand of
Lord, whereas “Love aims to bridge the gap Muhammad the Arab, the
between man and God” 29. Sufi commentaries Hashimite prophet, take,
on the Qurʿān, use the language of love to for your life lies in that.
remind man of his primordial love. This is also Read the tablet that he
for the fact that God’s love for man take writes, learn servanthood
precedence over man’s love for God. As from his character traits,
theQurʿān puts: “whom He loveth and who take seeking from his
love Him” (5:54) God’s love is prior to man’s aspiration, put his Sunnah
love. Butanyway, if you love God, then what to to work, walk behind him
29
Chittick, Divine Love, 2013
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
in all states. The final goal about whether there should be a mystical
of the traveling of the interpretation to Qurʿān, but followers of this
servantsand the perfection path have made it clear in their works that what
of their states is My love, they are doing is nothing but discovering the
and My love lies in Divine secrets through their contemplation,
following the Sunnah and intuitions and mystical experiences. Their main
conduct of your prophet. idea is that the Qurʿān is word of God and it
Whoever walks straight in contains not only Zawāhir, but only Bawātin.
his tracks is in reality My One can gain the secrets of the Book through
friend. Say: ‘If you love purification of his soul and, following the
God, follow me, and God Muhammad’s example and ascending the
will love you’[3:31].” 30 ladder of spiritual perfection. According to this
According to Sufi tradition, Muhammad is tradition, remaining in the Zawāhir of Qurʿān,
symbol of Love, good character traits, the is like stopping by the shore of the ocean. If one
symbol of perfect man, and finally the best intends the meet with the absolute Real, he/she
example than man should follow him. needs to theoretically and practically realize
Muhammad, as Sufis described him is a sure and actualize his/her innate spiritual faculties.
path to salvation. He again while commenting Therefore mystical interpretation of the Qurʿān,
the verse “Be you lordly ones!” (3:79), stresses not only is not a “vague speculation”, or “the
that the following of Muhammad will results in reading of one’s own ideas into a text”;rather it
the gaining of divine character traits. is discovering the different levels of existence
and a path realizing the self. Sufi interpretation,
Conclusion: takes for granted that the levels of the Qurʿān
Sufi commentary has emerged from the early identifies with the levels of existence and
Islam. There are however, some disagreements man’s argent need is requiring self-knowledge
30
Meybudi, Rashid al-Din, William Chittick, 2014
Page | 41
Vol 01, No.01, 2016
and self-purification rather than making included in the objectives
him/herself busy with discursive discussion or of the Qur'an, and they are,
polemic dialogues. Khomeini puts this as in fact, far away from the
follow: main objective of this
By learning, teaching, divine Book. 31
benefiting and being Sufism and its methodology and approach to
benefited we do not mean Qurʿān, is one of the Islam’s most valuable
its different literary, heritage. The mystical aspects of Qurʿān not
syntactical and only is exhibited in the Qurʿāniccommentaries,
morphological aspects, nor but also a wide range of poetry and literature in
its eloquence and rhetoric the Muslim societies devoted to discuss this
and other stylistic points, aspect of Qurʿān. It is an important endeavor to
nor being interested in its analyze the extent and effects of mystical
stories, tales and episodes literature in Islamic heritage in comparison
from the historical point of with the other disciplines and it’s role in
view in order to get making a dialogue among Muslims and the
information about the past followers of the other religions.
nations. None of these is
Bibliography
1. Al-Ghazali. (1983). Jawa1ir al-Qur'an wa duraruh. Beirut: Dar al-Afaq al-Jadida.
2. Ali. (1998). Peak of Eloquence.
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Khomeini, 1996, p. 123
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Vol 01, No.01, 2016
3. Al-Tabari. (1954-7). Jami' al-bayan 'an ta`wil ay al-Qur`an. Egypt : Mustafa al-Babi al-
Halabi.
4. Böwering, G. (1996). The Major Sources of Sulamī's Minor Qurʾān Commentary. Oriens,
Vol. 35, (1996), pp., 35, 35-56. doi:10.2307/1580542
5. Burckhardt, T. (2008). Introduction to Sufi Doctrine. World Wisdom.
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7. Chittick, W. (2004). Me and Rumi. Fons Vitae.
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York: SUNNY Press.
9. Chittick, W. (2013). Divine Love. New heaven: Yale.
10. Gellman, Jerome, Edward N. Zalta. (2014, March 7). "Mysticism". Retrieved from The
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:
http://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2014/entries/mysticism
11. Glasse, C. (2008). The New Encyclopedia of Islam. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers,
Inc.
12. khomeini, R. (1996). Adab as-Salat The Disiplines of the Prayer . Tehran: International
Affairs Department and Ansariyan Publications .
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13. Kohlberg, E. (2011, August 3). Encyclopædia Iranica . Retrieved 11 09, 2014, from
http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/amoli-sayyed-baha-al-din-haydar-b
14. Meibudi, R. a.-D. (n.d.). Kashf al-asrar wa uddat al-Abrar.
15. Meybudi, Rashid al-Din, William Chittick. (2014). Kashf al-Asrar wa Uddat al-Abrar.
Fons Vitae.
16. Radtke, B. (1988, December 15). Encyclopedia Iranica. Retrieved November 6, 2014,
from http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/baten-inner-hidden-the-opposite-of-zaher-
outer-visible
17. Sands, K. Z. (2006). SUFI COMMENTARIES ON THE QUR'AN IN CLASSICAL
ISLAM. London: Routledge .
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19. Tabataba'i, S. M. (1987). Qur'an in Islam. Krachi: Zahra Publications.
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Mystical interpretation of the Qurʿān

Article · January 2016

Seyed AmirHossein Asghari

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Mystical interpretation of the Qurʿān

Seyed AmirHossein Asghari

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures, Indiana University, USA

is written by love, it should be read with love.

Keywords: Qurʿān, Interpretation, Mysticism, Sufism, Ta’wīl

Mysticism, Sufism communion with ultimate

The term “mystic” according to some, refers to reality reported by mystics

something that is hidden or concealed. In 2: the belief that direct

religious language it alludes to ““hidden” knowledge of God,

allegorical interpretations of Scriptures and to spiritual truth, or ultimate

hidden presences” 3. There is however, a term reality can be attained

like mystical experience that in a wide sense through subjective

according to Gellman and Zalta refers to experience (as intuition or

“granting acquaintance of realities or states of insight)

affairs that are of a kind not accessible by way 3 a: vague speculation: a

of sense perception, somatosensory modalities, belief without sound basis

or standard introspection.” 4 b : a theory postulating

as follow: intuitive acquisition of

1 : the experience of ineffable knowledge or

mystical union or direct power. 5

in its very foundation connects or Scholars associated with

communicates with the ultimate reality or God, Sufism developed a

then religion will be equal to mysticism, and as distinctive methodology.

reality, then it is not a “vague speculation” as called "mystical."

defined in the third stage by Webster, for if it is Webster's second

then religion per se is a vague speculation. definition of mysticism

Therefore, religiously speaking, “The tells us that it can mean

experience of communion with ultimate reality "the doctrine or belief that

for such communion has always motivated the of spiritual truth, or

mysticism lies in the heart of religion. attainable through

8 University, May 2003.

Mysticism and Islam, A lecture delivered at the David M.

immediate intuition, theQurʿān in a wide range is mystical. In

insight, or illumination and contrary, some scholars such as Ignaz

in a way differing from Goldziher (1850-1921) tend to interpret the

ordinary sense perception mystical reading of Qurʿān as, “the reading of

or ratiocination." This one’s own ideas into a text”. In other word, he

doctrine is certainly means that the Qurʿān not only has no

characteristic of the Sufi mystical/inner aspects; rather whatever Sufis

approach to understanding attributed to the Qurʿān as mystical or spiritual

commentary on the Qurʾān.” 10

text, but rather discovers ideas in the course of

Qurʿān’s Mystical aspects his experiential dialogue with the text.” 12

This approach in a way searches to find any word to humans by

witness in the early Islamic history or in the transmitting through the

Sufi reading or not. It however contains that He wished them to

historical methodology in Islamic studies, on learn, and that this final

the other hand it lakes the comprehensive revelation is intelligible to

understanding of it. In this reading finding a anybody without special

historical document may prove a dimension of knowledge.” 13

Taymīya ʿelm al-bāṭen appearance of an idea or way of thought does

was an inadmissible not necessarily mean that it is not derived from

innovation; like all Islam or has no dependence to the primary

of Sufi understanding, even if Sufism as a term God.” 15

a text”. meanings.The first one refers to justifying the

ambiguous (Mutashabih)_that is providing an