The Ta’wīl of the Wise Qur’ān and the Ismāʿīlī Madhhab: An Academic Review

Ta’wīl is one of the most important topics of the glorious Qur’ān. All Islamic schools of thought, such as theologians, jurists, mystics and philosophers have written extensively about its necessity, possibility and impossibility. In the Ismāʿīlī madhhab, a branch of Shīʿah Imāmi Islam, ta’wīl is a necessity because of the very nature of the Divine Word. The greater part of it is allegorical and symbolic, which without authoritative ta’wīl leads the seekers of wisdom to confusion and perplexity. Thus, Almighty God has provided tanzīl together with its ta’wīl. In the former spiritual realities are expressed in physical allegories, whereas in the latter, their veils are gradually removed to facilitate obedient seekers of wisdom to reach their realities. Many Qur’ānic verses indicate the abstruse nature of tanzīl and the source of ta’wīl, such as (3:7; 18:65-82). Since ta’wīl is a perennial need of human beings, God by breathing the Holy Spirit (ruḥu’l-qudus, 15:28-30) into Ḥaẓrat Adam and by teaching him all the names (2:30) prepared him to undertake tanzīl and appointed his asās to help him in his task by undertaking its ta’wīl. This system of guidance or Divine sunnat has continued throughout human history (3:33-34). In the holy Prophet’s time Ḥaẓrat ʿAlī was responsible for the Qur’ān’s ta’wīl as he was for its tanzīl. Further, since ta’wīl comes gradually (7:52-53), in order to continue it, the holy Prophet left his progeny after him together with the Book of Allāh. In the Ismāʿīlī madhhab, the line of the holy Prophet’s progeny continues and they, as the rāsikhūn fi’l-ʿilm and ulu’l-amr, have continued to do the Qur’ān’s ta’wīl to guide the jamāʿat in the ever-changing exigencies of the world to enable them to practise Islam irrespective of place or time. Keywords: Qur’ān, Ta’nzil, Ta’wīl, MuÍkamat, Rāsikhūn fi’l-ʿilm