An Analysis and Criticism of Ibn Taymiyyah's Intellectual Principles in Interpreting the Quran

It is of particular importance to study the principles and views used by Ibn Taymiyyah, the greatest figure and leader of Salafiyyah sect, in interpreting the Quran in order to recognize and show the effect of his intellectual views and principles on his interpretation. The present paper brings into view the most important principles and foundations accepted by Ibn Taymiyyah and the effect of these principles on his interpretation of the Quran. It concludes that relying on and adherence to such principles as literalism, prohibition of esoteric commentary in its common meaning, avoiding rationalism, excessive reliance on audience's understanding at the time of revelation of Quran, rejection of metaphor and figure of speech and extreme reliance on conventional meanings have wrong and deviated consequences which reveals themselves as inappropriate interpretations of Quranic verses in the form of belief in corporality of God and visioning the Presence of Truth, proving direction, hand, foot and face and other perceptive tools for God, and belief in the augmentation of attributes over essence, etc.