The Qur'an's Hermeneutics: Letting the Book Speak for Itself

By Naseer Ahmed, New Age Islam 14 May 2025 Rediscovering Qur'anic Interpretation Through Its Own Principles ------- Editor’s Note This article offers a thoughtful reevaluation of Qur’anic hermeneutics grounded in the Qur’an’s self-declared attributes. It invites readers to reflect critically yet reverently on how the Qur’an should be approached in light of both its internal guidance and the progress of human knowledge. While the views expressed are those of the author, they raise important and timely questions about the methodology of interpretation in modern Islamic thought. Preface This article reflects a personal journey of returning to the Qur’an on its own terms—without inherited assumptions, theological overlays, or sectarian filters. It argues that the Qur’an itself provides a coherent method of interpretation and that much of the traditional commentary has overlooked or obscured this internal clarity. By recovering the Qur’an’s own hermeneutical framework, we not only deepen our understanding but also renew our relationship with the Book as a living guide. The Qur'an's Hermeneutics: Letting the Book Speak for Itself In discussions about interpreting the Qur’an, much is often made of external frameworks—linguistic theories, sectarian doctrines, historical contexts, or philosophical lenses. Yet the Qur’an itself lays out a coherent, internal method for its interpretation. In my view, a sound Qur’anic hermeneutic rests on two foundational principles, both clearly established within the text: 1. Deriving the Clear, Literal Meaning 2. Understanding the Underlying Wisdom in Light of Accurate Knowledge 1. Deriving the Clear, Literal Meaning The Qur’an affirms repeatedly that it is a book that makes things clear (Kitābun Mubīn): • "These are verses of the Qur’an—a book that makes things clear." (27:1) • "(It is) a Qur’an in Arabic, without any crookedness therein: so that they may guard against evil." (18:28) • "We have not taught him poetry, nor is it fitting for him. It is nothing but a message and a clear Qur’an." (36:69) The Qur’an explicitly distances itself from poetry, which delights in ambiguity and multiple interpretations. Poets use words to evoke layers of meaning, sometimes contradictory, depending on the reader’s perspective. But the Qur’an does the opposite—it uses words to clarify, not to confuse. This is especially true of the Muhkamat—the clear, decisive verses that provide ethical guidance, legal injunctions, and spiritual instruction. The Qur’an also affirms its internal consistency and invites the reader to verify this through reflection: • "Do they not consider the Qur’an with care? Had it been from other than Allah, they would have found much discrepancy in it." (4:82) • "Allah has revealed the best message: a consistent book wherein is reiteration..." (39:23) This internal repetition—often seen in varying phrasings or perspectives—helps correct misinterpretations and reinforces core messages. With over 6,000 verses and remarkable linguistic consistency, the Qur’an provides the tools to be its own commentary. 2. Understanding the Underlying Wisdom in Light of Accurate Knowledge The second principle involves Tadabbur (deep reflection) and Tafakkur (thoughtful contemplation) to understand the wisdom behind the verses. The Qur’an calls on its readers to reflect on both its content and the created world: • "Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth... are signs for people of understanding." (3:190–191) • "We will show them Our signs in the horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth." (41:53) This reflective process is essential not only for drawing moral and spiritual lessons from the Muhkamat, but also for correctly interpreting the Mutashabihat—the allegorical verses, which were incorrectly categorised as ambiguous. The term Mutashabihat means "allegorical," but because their meaning was once unclear, they came to be seen as "ambiguous." These verses deal with the natural world, cosmology, or human development—areas where human knowledge was limited at the time of revelation and thus beyond the full understanding of early readers. Traditional scholars, lacking the scientific insights we now possess, assumed that the Mutashabihat were meant to be interpreted within the bounds of their existing worldview. Faced with interpretive difficulty, they proposed that these verses carried multiple layers of meaning—sometimes suggesting as many as seven. But ambiguity is like a blurred image: when lacking clarity, it appears to contain many overlapping forms. Once the true picture is revealed, however, the blurriness vanishes and a single, clear meaning comes into view. Modern science and rational inquiry have, in many cases, caught up with these verses. What was once thought obscure or metaphorical is now seen as clear and precise. Thus, the Mutashabihat no longer remain ambiguous in the way early commentators imagined. Their emerging clarity only affirms the Qur’an’s claim to be a book of guidance whose truths unfold progressively over time. Letting the Qur’an Speak for Itself In my writings and discussions, I limit interpretation strictly to the two principles outlined above: (1) deriving the straightforward meaning using the Qur’an’s own internal tools, and (2) reflecting on its wisdom with the help of the most reliable knowledge available to us. Many traditional Tafsirs, however, tend to overlook both of these principles. They superimpose external theological or philosophical frameworks onto the text or confine interpretation to the intellectual limits of past centuries. Yet the Qur’an itself warns against such rigidity: • "So give good news to My servants—those who listen to what is said and follow it as best as they can. Those are the ones Allah has guided..." (39:17–18) The Qur’an must be approached with an open mind, free from inherited filters and sectarian lenses. Only then do we let the Book speak for itself, and only then does it speak to us directly to our hearts and minds—and only then can we follow where it truly leads. Author’s Note This article is part of an ongoing effort to firmly establish the most reliable Qur'an-based approach to understanding the Qur'an and to reject all other frameworks, filters, and lenses that are products of the publish-or-perish syndrome but ultimately unhelpful. I offer my articles as proof of the merits of this methodology. --- A frequent contributor to NewAgeIslam.com, Naseer Ahmed is an Engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and is an independent IT consultant after having served in both the Public and Private sector in responsible positions for over three decades. He has spent years studying Quran in-depth and made seminal contributions to its interpretation. URL: https://www.newageislam.com/debating-islam/quran-hermeneutics-speak/d/135528 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism