The Decontextualized Interpretation in Asrār al-Tawhid of Abu Said Abul-Khayr

In Iranian thought, mysticism, along with Islamic jurisprudence, theology, philosophy, has opened new horizons in exegesis (tafsīr) and has had remarkable achievements in this field.The works that reflect the discovery and intuition of mystics are proof of this claim. In the field of practical and theoretical mysticism, Muslim mystics often justified their interpretive approach by referring to Quranic verses and hadiths, and in addition, they also used to introduce their own epistemological and ontological foundations. Among the mystics who engaged in practical mysticism, Abu Said Abul-Khayr, puts decontextualization at the center of his interpretations in various fields, including verses and hadiths, poetry, quotations, deeds, everyday events, and so on. In this approach, the intention of the author/speaker is discussed, but the context from which the verse, hadith and so on arises, is put aside. Abu Said Abul-Khayr removes all verses, hadiths, deeds etc. from the historical context and interprets them according to the mystical circumstances and context. The creation of new meanings and interpretations, the presentation of new horizons and worlds, are the results of such a view. By using a descriptive-analytical method, the present article deals with these issues in detail.