Methodology of T awil in the View of Fayd Kashani with an Emphasis on the Role of Ontology

In Fayd Kashani’s view, t’awil (esoteric interpretation) is a strategy for attaining the innermost and depth of meaning. He believes that denying t’awil is a sign of superficiality. His writings, particularly his two books of ‘Ayn al-yaqin and Usul al-m‘arif and his Mizan al-qiyamah treatise, testify to the supreme place of ontology in discovering the secrets of religious teachings. Fayd’s research in the field of t’awil is based on his philosophical-gnostic thoughts. He conceives of ontology as a window through which one should view the vast spread of revealed teachings. The writer believes that the treatise of al-Insaf introduces Fayd’s methodology of t’awil. Moreover, it describes the process of the writer’s journey towards the truth. According to this gnostic philosopher, some of the conditions that are necessary for one’s attaining the knowledge of t’awil include recognizance of theoretical and practical wisdom, spiritual perfection, patience, and truth seeking.