Coolness of the eye - Analysis of the word " Ta'wil"

Analysis of the word " Ta'wil"

Tags: Ta'wil, Hazrat Yusuf, Sidq, Kayl, Qistas

The word "ta'wil" is mentioned in the Wise Qur'an seventeen times. Each of the holy verses in which it is mentioned sheds luminous light on the idea of ta'wil, yet the basic realities of the principles of ta'wil become known from the surah of Yusuf (12)). For, God has presented it there in the form of a living reality.
Ta'wil is an infinitive noun on the pattern of taf`il and it stems from the root letters "alif, waw, lam", which means to return something to its origin, to return a symbol (mithal) to that which is symbolised (mamthul), to return a meaning to its origin or batin (esoteric aspect), etc. For instance, awwala'llahu `alayka zallataka (May God return to you your astray). Thus, ta'wil means to return something to its origin, as the Qur'an says: "Wa-ma ya`lamu ta'wilahu illa'llahu wa'r-rasikhuna fi'l-`ilm (While its ta'wil (original or esoteric meaning) none knows except God and those who are well-grounded in knowledge)." From the same root is the word mu'awwil (the one who does ta'wil), as Mawla `Ali (May peace be through him) has said: "Ana mu'awwilu't-ta'wil (I am the doer of the ta'wil)".
The Holy Qur'an says: "And thus your Sustainer will choose you (with luminous dreams and spirituality) and teach you the ta'wil (esoteric meaning or spiritual reality) of all sayings." (12:6). That is, Hazrat Ya`qub said to his son Hazrat Yusuf: The dream which you have seen is not an ordinary dream, rather, it is an extremely special one, for the luminous dream and spirituality are two names of the same thing, through which, the Lord of honour wants to teach you the science of ta'wil.
It is also said: "And thus We gave a firm place to Yusuf in the earth (personal world) that We may teach him the ta'wil of all sayings." (12:21). That is, God gave him a place in the earth of spirituality and particularly in the earth of the Universal Soul, thus he received the science of ta'wil (given knowledge or `ilm-i ladunni). Otherwise, how was the ta'wil related to giving him a place in Egypt? It should be remembered that the Universal Intellect is the heaven and the Universal Soul, the earth. They are together, as well as separate (21:30).
It is quoted in verse (12:44): "They said: (These are) confused dreams, and we do not know the ta'wil of (such scattered) dreams." (12:44). That is to say, if according to them they were linked, they would have done their ta'wil.
The two youths who had entered the prison with Hazrat Yusuf, requested him: "Inform us of its ta'wil; surely we see you to be of the doer of good" (12:36). Hazrat Yusuf said: "There shall not come to you any food with which you are fed, but I will inform you both of its ta'wil before it comes to you; this is what my Lord has taught me" (12:37). Here is revealed a very great secret concerning ta'wil, which is that Hazrat Yusuf in the light of his spirituality and luminosity, could understand, not only the ta'wil of past sayings, but he also had the basirat (spiritual eye) of prophesying the spiritual food (i.e. knowledge) which the mu'mins were going to receive. For prophecy is nothing but ta'wil, because in ta'wil also to say that a thing is going to happen in the future or is happening now, one has to refer to spiritual observations and experiences.
The verification (tasdiq) of all religious matters is by the knowledge of the master of ta'wil (sahib-i ta'wil). In this sense, Hazrat Yusuf is called Verifier or Siddiq (12:46), and wherever in the Wise Qur'an, the derivatives of the word sidq (veracity, truth) such as sadiqin and siddiqin, etc., are mentioned, ta'wil is mentioned in them. As it is said in verse (9:119): "O you who believe! Fear God and be with the sadiqin (the truthful ones)". This does not mean that all the people of faith were not telling the truth, rather, it means that they should be with the holy Imams, so that they may be enriched with the wealth of the wisdom of ta'wil.
As mentioned above, ta'wil comprises all states of the past and the future. As Hazrat Yusuf said: "O my father! this is the ta'wil of my dream of old." (12:100). That is to say, the direction of ta'wil changes: sometimes it goes in the direction of the future, and sometimes in the direction of the past. Hazrat Yusuf by way of gratitude, prayer and glorification, said: "My Lord! You have given me of the (spiritual) kingdom." (12:101). Here the spiritual kingdom is mentioned first, then the ta'wil. Because the kingdom of the earth of the Universal Soul is granted first, then comes the light of the science of ta'wil by ta'yid (spiritual help) of the five higher hudud.
The Holy Qur'an says: "O you who believe! Obey God and obey the Prophet and the ulu'l-amr from among you; then if you dispute about anything, refer it to God and the Prophet (and the ulu'l-amr), if you believe in God and the last day; this is good and very good with respect to ta'wil (i.e. referring to origin and esoteric wisdom)." (4:59). (For an explanation and ta'wil of the Verse of Obedience, see: Miftahu'l-Hikmat, pp. 22-34 and Diagrams of Wisdom, p. 51).
".... And give full measure (al-kayl) when you measure, and weigh with a right balance (al-qistas), this is good, and better with respect to ta'wil" (17:35). Al-kayl is the Universal Intellect and al- qistas is the Universal Soul. Also the kayl is the rank of Natiq and the qistas that of the Asas.
".... And certainly We have brought them a Book .... Do they look for aught else but its ta'wil? The day its ta'wil comes ...". (7:53)
"Nay, they denied that, the knowledge of which they could not comprehend (due to ignorance) and its ta'wil has not yet come to them; thus also did those who were before them deny" (10:39).

Khanah-yi Hikmat,	Nasir Hunzai,
9th October, 1982.	Glen Elly Il 60137
	U. S. A.
	9 Muharramu'l-haram,
	1412/21st July, 1991.

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