The Meaning of Exegesis, According to the Commentators
and scholars
there is considerable disgreement as to the meaning of exegesis, ta'wil,
and it is possible to count more than ten different views. There are, however,
two views which have gained general acceptance. The first is that of the
early generation of scholars who used the word exegesis, ta'wil,
as a synonyn for commentary, or tafsir.
according to this view, all qur'anic verses are open to ta'wil
although according to the verse, "nobody knows its interpretation
(ta'wil) except god," it is the implicit verses whose interpretation
(ta'wil) is known only to God. For this reason, a number of the
early scholars said that the implicit verses are those with muqatta'ah-letters
at the beginning of the chapter since they are the only verses in the Qur'an
whose meaning is not known to everyone.
This interpretation has been demonstrated in the previous section as
being incorrect, a view which is shared by certain of the late scholars.
They argued that since there is a way of finding out the meaning of any
verse, particularly since the muqattah-letters are obviously not in the
same classification as the implicit verses then the distinction between
the two (muqatta'ah and implicit, mutashabih) is clear.
Secondly, the view of the later scholars is that exegesis refers to
the meaning of a verse beyond its literal meaning and that not all verses
have exegesis; rather only the implicit, whose ultimate meaning is known
only to God. The verses in question here are those which refer to the human
qualities of coming, going, sitting, satisfaction, anger and sorrow apparently
attributed to God and, also, those verses which apparently ascribe faults
to the messengers and prophets of god (when in reality they are infallible).
The view that the word exegesis refers to a meaning other than the apparent
one has become quite accepted. Moreover, within the divergence of opinion
amongst scholars, exegesis has come to mean "to transfer"
the apparent meaning of a verse to a different meaning by means of a proof
called ta'wil; this method is not without obvious inconsistencies. 1
Although this view has gained considerable acceptance, it is incorrect
and cannot be applied to the Qur'anic verses for the following reasons.
firstly, the verses, Do they await anything but the fulfillment of
it [vii:53]
and, but they denied that, the knowledge of which they could not
encompass and the interpretation of which had not yet come to them
[X:39] indicate that the whole Qur'an has exegesis, not just the implicit
verses as claimed by this group of scholars.
Secondly, implied in this view is that there are Qur'anic verses whose
real meaning is ambiguous and hidden from the people, only God knowing
their real meaning. However, a book which declares itself as challenging
and excelling in its linguistic brilliance could hardly be described as
eloquent if it failed to transmit the meaning of its own words.
Thirdly, if we accept this view, then the validity of the Qur'an comes
under question since, according to the verse, Why do they not reflect
upon the Qur'an, if it were from other than God they would have found in
it many inconsistencies.
One of the proofs that the Qur'an is not the speech of man is that,
despite having been revealed in widely varying and difficult circumstances,
there is no inconsistency in it, neither in its literal meaning nor in
its inner meaning, and any initial inconsistency disappears upon reflection.
If it is believed that a number of the implicit verses disagree with
the sound, or muhkam, or explicit, verses this disagreement may be resolved
by explaining that what is intended is not the literal meaning but rather
another meaning known only to God. However, this explanation will never
prove that the Qur'an is "not the speech of man." If by exegesis we change
any inconsistency in the explicit, or sound (muhkam), verses to another
meaning beyond the literal, it is clear that we may also do this for the
speech and writing of man.
Fourthly, there is no proof that exegesis indicates a meaning other
than the literal one and that, in the Qur'anic verses which mention the
word exegesis, the literal meaning is not intended.
On three occasions in the story of Joseph, ehe interpretation of his
dream 2 is called ta'wil (exegesis). It is clear that the interpretation
of a dream is not fundamentally different from the actual appearance of
the dream; rather, it is the interpretation of what is portrayed in a particular
form in the dream. Thus Joseph saw his father, mother and brother falling
to the ground in the form of the sun, the moon and the stars.
Likewise, the king of Egypt saw the seven-year drought in the form of
seven lean cows eating the seven fat cows and also, the seven green ears
of corn and the seven dry ears. Similarly, the dreams of Joseph's two fellow-inmates
in the prison: one saw himself pouring wine for the king (in the form of
the first pressing of wine), while the second saw himself crucified (in
the form of birds eating from the bread basket on his head). 3
The dream of the king of Egypt is related in the same chapter, verse
43 and its interpretation, from joseph, in verses 47-49 when he says, you
will sow seven years as usual, but what ever you reap leave it in the ear,
all except a little which you will eat. Then after that will come a year
when people will have plenteous crops and then they will press (meaning
wine and oil).
The dream of Joseph's fellow-inmates in the prison occurs in verse 36
of the same chapter. one of the two young men says to joseph, "I
dreamt that i was carrying upon my head bread which the birds were eating."
the interpretation of the dream is related by joseph in verse 41 O
my two fellow-prisoners! As for one of you he will pour out wine for his
Lord to drink and as for the other, he will be crucified so that the birds
will eat from his head .
In a similar fashion, God relates the story of Moses and Khidr in the
chapter "The Cave" [XVIII:71-82]. Khidr made a hole in the boats; thereafter,
killed a boy and, finally, straightened a leaning wall. After each event,
Moses protested and Khidr explained the meaning and reality of each action
which he had carried out on the orders of god; this he referred to as ta'wil.
Thus it is clear that the reality of the event and the dream-picture
which portrayed the event-to-be are basically the same: the ta'wil,
or interpretation, does not have a meaning other than the apparent one.
likewise god says, talking about weights and measures, "Fill the
measure when you measure and weigh with a right balance, that is proper
and better in the end," (that is, more fitting in the final determination
of the day of reckoning) [xvii:35].
it is clear that the word ta'wil used here in respect to the
measuring and weighing refers to fair dealing in business practices. Thus
the ta'wil used in this way is not different from the literal meaning
of the words "measuring" and "weighing"; it merely deepens and extends
the significance of the mundane to include a spiritual dimension.
This spiritual dimension is of significance for the believer who has
in mind the reckoning of the final day together with his own day-to-day
reckoning in the affairs of trade.
in another verse god again uses the word ta'wil, and if
you have any dispute concerning any matter, refer it to God and the messenger
... that is better and more fitting in the end [iv:59].
it is clear that the meaning of ta'wil and the referring of the
dispute to God and His messenger is to establish the unity of Society and
to show how each action or event in a community has a spiritual significance.
thus, the ta'wil refers to a tangible ordinary reality and is
not in opposition to the actual text in the verses which refers to the
dispute.
In all, there are sixteen occasions in the Qur'an in which the word
ta'wil
is used but on no occasion does it have a meaning other than the literal
text. we may say, therefore, that the word ta'wil is used to extend
the idea expressed to include a further meaning which, (as will be made
clear in the next section), is still in accordance with the actual word
ta'wil occurring in the verse.
Thus, in the light of these examples, there is no reason why we should
take the word ta'wil in the verse about the explicit muhkam, and
implicit, mutashabih, meanings to indicate "a meaning basically
other than the apparent meaning."
1 Since
explaining the meaning of exegesis (ta'wil), and at the same time, recognizing
that no one but God knows that ta'wil meaning, is self contradictory, the scholars in question have put forward this view as a
hypothesis rather than as a truth.
2
3 Joseph's dream is mentioned in the third verse of
chapter xii, "joseph", (when he says to his father: "0 father i saw in a dream eleven stars, the sun and the
Moon making prostration to me") and its interpretation is related by Joseph in verse 100: `Joseph placed his parents on the dais when they arrived from Egypt
after
years of separation and then his parents and his brother fell down before him prostrate
and he said: 0 my father! this is the interpretation of my dream.