Mystical and Rational Hermeneutics in the Islamic Tradition: A Comparative Analysis of the Views of Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī and ʿAbd al-Razzāq Lāhījī

Abstract

One of the fundamental issues in the field of hermeneutics of religious texts is the examination of the theoretical foundations that shape the intellectual frameworks and methodological principles for understanding religious concepts and for attaining the truths embedded in revelatory texts. Religious knowledge, from a comprehensive perspective, is the product of the interaction between reason, transmitted tradition (naql), and mystical intuition (kashf or shuhūd), each of which plays a distinct role in elucidating the various dimensions of religion. Sayyid Ḥaydar Āmulī maintains that genuine knowledge depends upon the integration of reason with mystical intuition, such that mystical intuition constitutes the principal instrument for the disclosure of truth, yet it acquires epistemic validity only through rational analysis and explanation. In contrast, ʿAbd al-Razzāq Lāhījī, with a strong emphasis on rationality, defends rational interpretation and hermeneutical reasoning in the understanding of revelation, and holds that religious propositions—particularly the verses of the Qurʾān—possess multiple layers of meaning, access to which requires a sound and reason-based hermeneutical approach. The research method of the present study is descriptive–analytical, and the data have been collected through library-based and documentary research. In addition to written sources, specialized digital resources in the fields of Qurʾānic studies, philosophy, and Islamic mysticism have also been employed. The comparative analysis of these two thinkers demonstrates that their mystical and rational approaches are not only non-contradictory but, as two complementary perspectives, make it possible to present a comprehensive and multidimensional understanding of the truth of religious texts.