Rethinking the SufT Interpretation of the Qur an

Sufis, the most important representatives of mystical dimension of Islamic thought, have produced an exclusive way of interpretation of the Qur an, which is called al-tafsTr al-ishari. The most significant feature of the Sufi exegesis of the Qur an, which distinguishes it from the other ways of interpretation, is the notion that there is an esoteric meaning of the Qur an in addition to the exoteric meaning, which can be discerned only by gnostics through divine inspiration. Thus, they add a third source, divine inspiration, to the other two sources of Qur anic interpretation: tradition and reason. In this work these following questions are tried to be answered: How and why did al-tafsTr al-ishari begin? How are these esoteric interpretations made? Is there any kind of methodology that is used in al-tafsTr al-ishari? What is the role of reasoning in these commentaries and what is the relation between divine inspiration and reasoning in this context? What are the positive and negative effects of al-tafsTr al-ishari to understanding the Qur an and tafsir literature? It is concluded that esoteric interpretaiton of the Qur an results in both major advantages and problematic drawbacks. The main disadvantage of such interpretation is that if the esoteric interpretation is given priority over exoteric interpretation, the Qur anic verses may be subject to a vast array of arbitrary and speculative interpretation and distortion of their meanings. Therefore, these interpretations must meet certain conditions. On the other hand, its greatest advantage is that Qur anic interpretations do not become limited to literal meanings alone, but rather, have the possibility and flexibility of discovering new horizons and depths of meaning. Therefore, the esoteric interpretations which do not claim priority over exoteric interpretations and do not contradict them, can be considered as wealth and depth in tafsir literature.