reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

78 Nasr Abu ZaydFor the natures of humans are on different levels with respect to [their pathsto] assent. One comes to assent through demonstration; another comes toassent through dialectical arguments, just as firmly as the demonstrative manthrough demonstration, since his nature does not contain any greater capacity;while another comes to assent through rhetorical arguments, again just asfirmly as the demonstrative man through demonstrative argutnents. 72The conclusion is that the Qur'an provides every human with "the method ofassent which his temperament and nature require." 73 The Qur'an itself, Ibn Rushdexplains, supports this philosophical syllogism; it "embraces all the methods ofsummons to God the Exalted. This is clearly expressed in the saying of God mostExalted (Q I6:I25), 'Summon to the way of you,r Lord by wisdom (the philosophicaldemonstration) and by good preaching (rhetorical discourse) and debate(dialectical argumentative discourse) with them in the most effective manner'. " 74Here, Ibn Rushd argues that the Qur'anic modes of discourse are the sameas the Aristotelian modes of argument, namely demonstrative, dialectical andrhetorical. He even goes further, insisting that the Qur'an's worldview by. nomeans contradicts the universal rational worldview known to him through philosophy.In case of any apparent contradiction the Qur' anic discourse is to be interpretedbeyond its immediate literal meaning with metaphorical/allegoricalinterpretation.So we affirm definitely that whenever the conclusion of a demonstration is inconflict with the apparent meaning of Scripture, that apparent meaning admitsof allegorical interpretation according to the rules for such interpretation inArabic. This proposition is questioned by no Muslim and doubted by nobeliever. But its certainty is imrriensely increased for those who have hadclose dealings with this idea and put it to the test, and have made it their aimto reconcile the assertions of intellect and tradition. 75Ibn Rushd argues that philosophical demonstration leads to certainty. 76 Legalsyllogism (qiyiis shar 'i) is based on opinion and leads to uncertainty. But this doesnot mean that those whose capacity is limited to apprehend either argumentativelyor rhetorically are misled. The three modes of discourse, Ibn Rushd argues,complement and support each other. Therefore, metaphoricaVallegorical interpretation,in Ibn Rushd's view, is to be executed through careful consideration of theentire body of the scripture. In other words, contrary to the theological exegesis(where metaphor is applied only according to need), Ibn Rushd emphasizes aTowards understanding the Qur 'iin 's worldview 79· .· l10listic approach. He sustains the validity of metaphorical interpretation of a•··.,certain statement by finding another statement whose immediate meaning supports·•.·. the demonstrative (or rational) evidence:Indeed we may say that whenever a statement in Scripture conflicts in itsapparent meaning with a conclusion of demonstration, if Scripture is consideredcarefully, and the rest of its contents searched page by page, there willinvariably be found among the expressions of Scripture something which inits apparent meaning bears witness to that allegorical interpretation or comesclose to bearing witness. 77remarkable characteristics oflbn Rushd's application of his hermeneutics is·~that in every issue he embarks upon in discussing and debating, he quotes the• Qur'an and the prophetic tradition, which corroborate demonstrative evidence by··~their immediate apparent meaning. He starts Falj[ al-maqiil, for example, by· ·•providing a wide range ofQur'anic quotations that encourage humans to observe,c contemplate and think. He comments:Since reflection is nothing more than inference and drawing out of the unknownfrom the known, and since this is reasoning or at any rate done by reasoning,therefore we are under an obligation to· carry on our study of beings by intellectualreasoning. It is further evident that this manner of study, to which theQur'an summons and urges, is the most perfect kind of study using the mostperfect kind of reasoning; and this is the kind called demonstration. 78; Debating against al-Ghazali's charge that philosophers are apostates for holding,that the world is pre-eternal, Ibn Rushd argues that the immediate meaning of the· . Qur'anic passages (fiihir) accommodates the philosophical view:Thus the words of God the Exalted, "He it is. Who created the heavens and theearth in six days, and His throne was on the water" (Q II :7), taken in theirapparent meaning imply that there was a being before this present being, .namely the throne and the water, and a time before this time, i.e. the onewhich is joined to the form of this being, namely the number ofthe movementof the celestial sphere. And the words of the Exalted, "On the day when theearth shall be changed into other than earth, and the heavens as well" (Q14:48), also in their apparent meaning imply that there will be a second beingafter this being. And the words of the Exalted, "Then He directed Himselftowards the sky, and it was smoke" (Q 41:11), in their apparent meaningimply that the heavens were created from something. Thus the theologians72 Ibid.73 Ibid.74 Ibid., 49.75 Ibid., 51.76 Ibid.