Volume 16, Issue 1 (2024 2024)
JIM 2024, 16(1): 103-118 |
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Sheikh M, Jalili N. (2024). A Closer Look at Ibn ʿArabī’s Interpretation of the Golden Calf. JIM. 16(1), 103-118. doi:10.22034/16.31.10
URL: http://erfanmag.ir/article-1-1573-en.html
URL: http://erfanmag.ir/article-1-1573-en.html
University of Tehran
Abstract: (1521 Views)
One of the controversial issues discussed in Ibn ʿArabī’s Fuṣūṣ al-Ḥikam is his interpretation of the Israelites’ worship of the Golden Calf. While most of Sufi Quranic exegeses, both before and after Ibn ʿArabī interpret the Golden Calf as representing the human soul or carnal desires, Ibn ʿArabī takes a different approach. Based on his belief in the takwīnī (existentiating) nature of God’s commands, he argues that people ultimately worship nothing but God. Thus, according to him, the Israelites’ worship of the Golden Calf was, in essence, a form of worshipping God. This interpretation raises three key questions: First, can his interpretation of the Golden Calf be considered an example of arbitrary exegesis? Second, is his interpretation consistent across his other works? And third, is his belief in the existentiating nature of God’s command—that no one other than Him can be worshiped—philosophically justified? In addressing these questions, it is important to note that, firstly, many of the mentioned ideas are not interpretations in the strict sense and, therefore, cannot be classified as cases of arbitrary exegesis. Moreover, a degree of arbitrariness is inherent in any act of interpretation. Secondly, one needs to bear in mind that Ibn ʿArabī never intended to produce a comprehensive and systematic exegesis of the Quran. His engagement with Quranic verses operates on two levels. At times, he offers exoteric interpretations akin to those of traditional exegetes, while at other times, drawing on his monistic ontology, he adopts a deeply esoteric approach—as seen in his interpretation of the worship of the Golden Calf. Finally, Ibn ʿArabī’s belief that the Quranic commandments possess a takwīnī (existentiating) essence is grounded in the broader Sufi perspective. Sufis viewed the Quran as an existential truth that permeates reality, leading them to regard at least some of its rulings as takwīnī in nature.
Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
عرفان
Received: 2023/07/24 | Accepted: 2023/11/8 | Published: 2024/12/30
Received: 2023/07/24 | Accepted: 2023/11/8 | Published: 2024/12/30
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