taʾwīl

Islam

Learn about this topic in these articles:

Bāṭinīyah

  • In Bāṭinīyah

    …could be arrived at through taʾwīl (allegorical interpretations); thus, every statement, person, or object could be scrutinized in this manner to reveal its true intent. They further stated that Muḥammad was only the transmitter of the literal word of God, the Qurʾān, but it was the imam (leader) who was…

    Read More

Muʿtazilah

  • In tafsīr

    …who insisted that interpretation (taʾwīl) of the Qurʾān must conform with reason. Sufis (Muslim mystics) and Shiʿis with esoteric inclinations also practiced taʾwīl, departing sharply from a purely external analysis. (See Bāṭiniyyah.) A British scholar, John Wansbrough, classified tafsīr literature according to its form and function. He distinguished five

    Read More