Nasr Abu Zayd 's Symbolic Interpretation in Comparison to the Mu'tazilite Symbolic Interpretation Approach

The most important common principles of interpretation between the Mu'tazilite and the neo-Mu'tazilahi school is symbolic interpretation, which brings to mind their proximity, but paying attention to its function, in terms of each group, eliminates their proximity. Using a descriptive-analytical method, this paper studies the Mu'tazilite symbolic interpretation and Nasr Abu Zayd's symbolic interpretation viewpoint, as a well-known neo-Mu'tazilahi scholar, with a comparative approach. The research findings show that the Mu'tazilites symbolically interpret the appearance of verses, with exact theological and ideological basis, whenever they consider a certain verse in contrast with their rational foundations and five principles, particularly in terms of the purification of the divine essence. But, Nasr Abu Zayd uses the symbolic interpretation merely to prove the historicity of the Qur'an, and the basis for adapting its concepts to modernity by relying on different foundations with the Mu'tazilites, and ignoring their concerns about the purification of the divine essence.