TAWIL

"It means, to cause to return, to lead back to the origin,and thus to return to the true and original meaning of a written text. It is to cause something to arrive at its origin. He who practises tawil, therefore, makes something revert to its truth, to its haqiqah." ("History of Islamic Philosophy", H. Corbin)

This was the practise of the Prophet and Imams - to reveal the tawil of the Qur'an and the tawil of the events of their time.

The verses of the Qur'an are referred to as ayat. This is because the Qur'an is a revelation from God (God's speech to man) and as such each of its verses is a signpost, an indication of its origin. The interpretation, the hermeneutics (tawil) of the ayat lead one back towards God. It is the same with all existent things in the Universe - they are all the traces, the signs of Allah.

The Universe and all that is in it, including the laws by which it functions, are signposts pointing the way to the source and support of existence - God.

The Qur'an urges us to consider and reflect on the "book" of the Universe, just as it urges us to reflect on the book of the Qur'an - for it is a book of "ayat", of signs. And signs are meant to be read and followed with the purpose of finding your way to a particular destination, a particular goal.

This is the purpose of doing tawil.