Near-synonyms 8: religion, way, interpretation

Religion

مِلّة / دين

The word مِلّة is used only in relation to a particular prophet. One says, for example, « مِلّة إبراهيم ». It thus refers to communal religion taken as a whole; this is why, by extension, this term also designates a community. It seems appropriate to me to translate it as « creed », as a number of translators have done.

On the other hand, regarding individuals, one says « دين نبيل », for example. The word دين is thus used for religion in each person’s singularity, whether virtuous or not. This is why one also says « فُلان حسن الدين » (so-and-so is of good religion).

When the Qur’an speaks of The Religion, understood as the one true religion, it refers to the upright and immutable religion « قَيِّم » — that is, the essential and timeless part of religion. This is the meaning of the verse:

إِنَّ الدِّينَ عِندَ اللَّهِ الْإِسْلَامُ
The religion in the sight of God is Islam. (3:19)

وَمَنْ أَحْسَنُ دِينًا مِمَّنْ أَسْلَمَ وَجْهَهُ لِلَّهِ وَهُوَ مُحْسِنٌ وَاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ إِبْرَاهِيمَ حَنِيفًا وَاتَّخَذَ اللَّهُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ خَلِيلًا
Who professes a finer religion than the one who submits (peacefully and exclusively) his face to God, acts as a doer of good, and follows the creed of Abraham, a pure believer, whom God took as a friend? (4:125)

Guidance

رُشْد / هُدى

The word رُشْد refers to a sound inner disposition that allows the individual to follow the right path.

As for the word هُدى, it refers to guidance in the broad sense, whether it comes from oneself or from outside.

فَإِنْ آنَسْتُمْ مِنْهُمْ رُشْدًا فَادْفَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ أَمْوَالَهُمْ
If you sense them capable of acting sensibly, hand over to them the property that belongs to them. (4:6)

لَعَلِّي آتِيكُمْ مِنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى النَّارِ هُدًى
Perhaps I will bring you a brand from it, or find at the fire some guidance? (20:10)

The way

سُنّة / مِنْهاج / شِرْعة / سبيل / سِراط / طريق

طريق: this term designates a path or a road in a very broad sense. Its root طرَق means to strike (at a door, notably). The word طريق would thus come, according to some, from the fact that one treads (or strikes) the road with one’s feet.

صِراط: for some, this word is the equivalent of طريق, but some specify that it is a well-trodden, easy path. In the Qur’an, it is always used positively. Its root س ر ط means « to swallow », and some add that this term originally comes from the road « swallowing » those who travel it. It seems to me, however, that such connections are very hazardous.

Caution: its most common spelling is صِراط, but some readings of the Qur’an also write it سِراط, which corresponds to the original form of the word, in keeping with its root. The spelling with ص comes from the fact that the س is emphasized due to the proximity of the ط.

سبيل: often used to designate small paths. It is also commonly used figuratively in various expressions: it can mean « a way », « a cause », « an expedient » or a « manner ».

شِرْعة / شَرِيعة: the root شرَع evokes going, or setting out on the road leading to the watering-place; it thereby symbolizes the way of salvation, for there is no salvation without water. Moreover, since no one can do without water, it is by extension a wide path travelled by all.

مِنْهاج: if one keeps to the sense of its root, this word evokes a well-trodden, clear path.

سُنّة: this word comes from « سَنّ », which designates the easy flow of something, like water. It designates the « conduct » or « way of being » of individuals. It can also mean the « course ». One says « to follow the سنّة » as one says « to follow in someone’s footsteps ». By extension it is « tradition ».

Interpretation

تأويل / تفسير

The Qur’an uses these two terms to speak of interpretation. To render their meaning, French is divided between several translations: « commentary », « interpretation », « exegesis », « hermeneutics ».

It is rather difficult to distinguish them, and indeed in some passages of the Qur’an the two terms seem equivalent. Observe:

وَلَا يَأْتُونَكَ بِمَثَلٍ إِلَّا جِئْنَاكَ بِالْحَقِّ وَأَحْسَنَ تَفْسِيرًا
They do not come to you with any allegory but that We bring you the truth and a better interpretation. (25:33)

وَأَوْفُوا الْكَيْلَ إِذَا كِلْتُمْ وَزِنُوا بِالْقِسْطَاسِ الْمُسْتَقِيمِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
When you measure, fill the measure and weigh with the just balance. That is preferable, and of better interpretation (or outcome). (35:17)

Etymology

Etymologically, the word تفسير originally means the « dissipation of the veil ». As for the word تأويل, it evokes a « return to the origin » or to the « first » sense (أوّل). The تأويل is the return to the initial writing: to see what is written, and thus what will come to pass, or to recover God’s initial word — the one that has not taken the coarse form of language. In some Qur’anic passages, this word also sometimes takes the sense of « consequence », « outcome » or « realization », which constitutes a notable difference in itself.

In the Qur’an

The first term (تفسير) is mentioned only once in the Qur’an, in the passage cited above.

The second (تأويل) is mentioned 17 times. Sometimes it clearly has the sense of « interpretation », sometimes clearly that of « consequence »; at other times, both senses seem to fit. Observe:

قَالَ هَذَا فِرَاقُ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنِكَ سَأُنَبِّئُكَ بِتَأْوِيلِ مَا لَمْ تَسْتَطِعْ عَلَيْهِ صَبْرًا
The Servant said: « This is where we part. I will give you the explanation of the things you could not bear patiently. » (18:78)

أَمْ يَقُولُونَ افْتَرَاهُ قُلْ فَأْتُوا بِسُورَةٍ مِثْلِهِ وَادْعُوا مَنِ اسْتَطَعْتُمْ مِنْ دُونِ اللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ بَلْ كَذَّبُوا بِمَا لَمْ يُحِيطُوا بِعِلْمِهِ وَلَمَّا يَأْتِهِمْ تَأْوِيلُهُ
Or do they say: « He (Muhammad) invented it »? Say: « Then produce a sura like it, and call upon whomever you can besides God, if you are truthful. » Rather, they have denied that which they cannot encompass in knowledge, and whose interpretation has not yet reached them. (10:38-39)

وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ السِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي خُبْزًا تَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ قَالَ لَا يَأْتِيكُمَا طَعَامٌ تُرْزَقَانِهِ إِلَّا نَبَّأْتُكُمَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمَا
Two young men entered prison with him. One said: « I saw myself [in a dream] pressing wine… » And the other said: « And I saw myself carrying on my head bread that birds were eating. Inform us of the interpretation of these dreams; we see you among the doers of good. » He said: « No food provided to you will come to you without my informing you of its interpretation before it is served to you. » (12:36-37)

هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا
He it is who sent down upon you the Book: in it are explicit verses, which are the matrix of the Book, and others equivocal. As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they follow the equivocal part, seeking discord and seeking to give it [their own] interpretation. Yet none knows its interpretation but God. And those firmly rooted in knowledge say: « We believe in it; all is from our Lord! » (3:7)

يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا أَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ وَأُولِي الْأَمْرِ مِنْكُمْ فَإِنْ تَنَازَعْتُمْ فِي شَيْءٍ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ ذَلِكَ خَيْرٌ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا
O you who believe! Obey God, obey the Messenger and those among you in authority. Then if you dispute over anything, refer it to God and the Messenger, if you believe in God and the Last Day. That is better and of finer interpretation (or outcome). (4:59)

وَلَقَدْ جِئْنَاهُمْ بِكِتَابٍ فَصَّلْنَاهُ عَلَى عِلْمٍ هُدًى وَرَحْمَةً لِقَوْمٍ يُؤْمِنُونَ هَلْ يَنْظُرُونَ إِلَّا تَأْوِيلَهُ يَوْمَ يَأْتِي تَأْوِيلُهُ يَقُولُ الَّذِينَ نَسُوهُ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَاءَتْ رُسُلُ رَبِّنَا بِالْحَقِّ
We have certainly brought them a Book that We detailed with knowledge, as a guidance and a mercy for a people who believe. Do they await only its realization? The day its realization comes, those who had forgotten it before will say: « The messengers of our Lord came with the truth. » (7:52-53)

Terminological sense

In Islamic terminology, it is also very difficult to distinguish these two terms. The commentator Abû Qâsim al-Nîsâbûrî (d. 1016) makes a remark that may be judged excessive, but which sums up the problem well: « In our time there are excellent exegetes who could not state the difference between tafsîr and ta’wîl if asked. » To get an idea of the use of these terms in a text, one must therefore generally know the definition given by the author.

The first opinion, supported notably by the famous Companion Abû ʿUbayda, is that there is no difference between these two terms. This was, moreover, a very common opinion among the early commentators.

According to al-Râghib al-Isfahânî, the great linguist: « The word tafsîr is more general than the word ta’wîl. » He says, in summary, that the first is used especially for what concerns the lexicon, while the second is used for the semantics of sentences or general interpretation, as is the case with the interpretation of dreams.

According to al-Maturîdî, the word tafsîr is used for certain interpretations, and the word ta’wîl for uncertain ones.

Others hold that tafsîr concerns interpretation through textual sources, while ta’wîl concerns interpretation through the sources of knowledge (that is, of reflection).

Al-Thaʿlabî holds that the first concerns the literal sense, while the second concerns the implicit or figurative sense illuminated by context. For example, in the verse « God is in ambush », the word « ambush » is not understood literally and requires a real interpretation (ta’wîl). It is somewhat towards this last opinion that the two terms have evolved in current usage.

This opinion can moreover be related to two fully Qur’anic dualities: that of outer (ẓâhir) and inner (bâṭin) on the one hand, and that of explicit (muḥkam) and equivocal (mutashâbih) on the other.

Theological sense

The word ta’wîl is moreover charged with a theological sense that colours its exegetical sense. Indeed, regarding the divine attributes, to exercise ta’wîl means to give a metaphorical sense to the divine attributes, or simply to give them a secondary sense. It is, for example, to interpret God’s love as His « benevolence ».