Rūmī’s Thought and the Mystical Hermeneutics of Qurʾānic Verses: A Logical and Intellectual Analysis

فکر مولانا رومی و تاویلِ عرفانیِ آیاتِ قرآنی: ایک منطقی و فکری تجزیہ

Abstract

This study investigates the intellectual and spiritual interplay between Jalāl al-Dīn Rūmī’s thought and the mystical hermeneutics (taʾwīl ʿirfānī) of Qurʾānic verses, with particular attention to the logical and philosophical dimensions of his interpretive method. Moving beyond literal and juridical exegesis, Rūmī employs the poetic and symbolic language of the Mathnawī and related discourses to disclose the inner and experiential meanings of revelation. His approach to the Qurʾān situates itself at the intersection of reason and intuition, philosophy and spirituality, where logic and metaphor function not as opposing poles but as complementary avenues toward truth. By engaging classical categories of philosophical reasoning while simultaneously privileging mystical experience, Rūmī offers a holistic vision in which the Qurʾān is encountered as a living, dynamic source of transformative meaning rather than a static repository of creed and law. The analysis positions Rūmī’s hermeneutics within the wider intellectual landscape of Islamic thought, juxtaposing his interpretive strategies with theological reasoning, rational discourse, and philosophical traditions to highlight his distinctive integration of intellect and intuition. Through this comparative framework, the research demonstrates how Rūmī’s paradigm of Qurʾānic interpretation both critiques the limitations of purely rationalist approaches and transcends the confines of literalist readings by grounding meaning in lived spiritual experience. Ultimately, the study underscores Rūmī’s enduring contribution to Islamic intellectual history: the articulation of a hermeneutical model where logic, metaphor, and experiential knowledge converge to reveal the Qurʾān as an inexhaustible source of inner wisdom, ethical refinement, and spiritual transformation.