A Research on the Admissibility or Inadmissibility of Philosophical Interpretation

The Holy Qur’an has been interpreted in different ways since the time of Revelation up to the present. One of its interpretation methods, for which there is disagreement on its admissibility or inadmissibility, is philosophical interpretation. A number of philosophers have taken its admissibility for granted and have interpreted chapters and verses of the Qur’an in a philosophical method, and another group of religious scholars have opposed it, somehow arguing its inadmissibility. In this article, first, the most important reasons of the opponents of philosophical interpretation such as: narrations indicating that the interpretation of the Qur’an is far from human intellect; narrations forbidding seeking guidance from [sources] other than the Qur’an; contradiction of intellection with philosophizing; and controversy and uncertainty of philosophical arguments are examined and criticized, and then, for the admissibility of the philosophical interpretation and the necessity or at least the permission to use philosophical findings in the interpretation of the verses, it is argued and finally it is concluded that the philosophical interpretation is admissible under certain conditions.