The Theory of Transversal Interpretation of the Theological Verses of the Holy Qur'an in the School of Ibn Arabi

The present article examines the theory of transversal interpretation of the theological verses of the Qur'an (verses referring to the names and attributes of God) in the school of Ibn Arabi. The issue of transversal interpretation is one of the important issues of the school of Ibn Arabi. It affects the interpretation of the theological verses of the holy Qur'an. Interpretation is possible in two different ways: longitudinal and transversal. In this context, interpretation means moving above the surface level of the theological verses to their inner level to get access to their longitudinal meaning. In longitudinal interpretation, the interpreter tries to derive a long chain of compatible meanings from the essence of the verses without making any modifications in the form of the theological verses. In transversal interpretation, unlike longitudinal interpretation, the meanings are arranged horizontally with no semantic unity. In this type of interpretation, the mystic tries to consider the theological verses in a broader context compared with longitudinal interpretation with the aim of extending the word of God in the realm of transverse meanings as well. One of the most important results of this research is the introduction of the foundations of transversal interpretation of the Qur'an, the need to observe or not to observe the unity of meaning in the Qur'an, a multi-dimensional view of the Qur'an, and the diversity of interpretation in this school. The method adopted in this article is an analytical one.