Natural Events and some KawnīElements in Classical Ishari Tafsir

Abstract

In the first century after the Hijra, Qur'anic exegesis was generally centered around the explanation of unclear (gharib) words and grammatical analyses. However, starting from the 5th century, a process of formalization in interpretations began. The commentaries produced by the Sufis, who focused on the esoteric/symbolic meanings (batini/ishari) of the verses, reached a significant volume and over the following centuries evolved into a distinct school of tafsir, securing its place in the literature. In these commentaries, generally categorized as ishari tafsirs (exegesis), the mufassir (exegete) believes that the concrete objects, events, or phenomena mentioned in the verses point to certain profound spiritual meanings in the metaphysical realms. According to this approach, which views the human being as a small yet important reflection of the cosmos, natural events and phenomena such as mountains, seas, and winds symbolize human emotions and inner conflicts. This study focuses on how this Sufi approach is reflected in ishari tafsirs specifically regarding natural events, and examines what kind of contribution it offers to Qur'anic interpretation. It is clear that bringing together and analyzing all the interpretations of nature from every exegetical work, categorized as ishari in a single article is not feasible. Therefore, this study focuses on the most natural phenomena and selects and analyzes some of the most notable interpretations from the most respected regarded classics of the ishari tafsir tradition. It should be emphasized that an mufassir involved in ishari tafsirs often bases their symbolic interpretation of a verse on personal and subjective considerations drawn from sources recognized as valid within the discipline of Sufism, such as kashf (spiritual unveiling), inspiration, intuition, or dreams. Mufassir shares his interpretations, which he believes are related to the apparent meaning of the verse, in the form of personal opinions. In this regard, the criteria for assessing how closely the mufassir's interpretation adheres to the framework of the Qur'an and Sunnah have been established by scholars of tafsir. In this study, the criteria established by tafsir scholars are used as the basis for evaluating whether the ishari interpretations generally conflict with the broader message of the verse. The introduction to the study provides, a general overview of the academic research conducted on ishari exegesis in Turkey is presented. The considerable number of works found indicates that, although the interpretations found in ishari tafsirs, although not always scientific, they are still taken seriously by a significant group of people, which underlines their importance. The frequent mention of natural elements and phenomena such as oceans, mountains, and winds in the Qur'an has attached the attention of ishari mufassirs, and led to interesting and very different interpretations. The intriguing nature of these interpretations underscores the importance of this study. It concludes that the interpretations of natural phenomena and events found in ishari tafsirs make a significant contribution to unveiling the semantic richness of the Qur'an. Furthermore, it is observed that the stages of development within the Sufi tradition throughout history have influenced the meaning that ishari mufassirs have attributed to the verses.