Cryptic language in Quran

Amongst types of uncommon language, we came to “cryptic language”. Usually uncommon language forks into three categories: segmented letters, connotative language and symbolic tongue.
Connotative language (the Batney and Sufis)
Study of Connotation concept
Connotation, Quranic implication, and their usage by referring interpretative method of Quran was previously discussed and they are mentioned here in brief:
“Connotation” firstly means to return. And in Quran it means “to interpret”, “similar justification” (Ale Imran/ verse no. 7), “dream” (Yusof/ verses no. 6 and 21) and the end and final of an issue (Nisa/ verse no. 59), the occurrence of something (Araf/ verse no. 53). In interpretative traditions, the said term means “implication”, the purpose of speaker and evidences for verses. By the term, interpreters and ideologists, mean “interpretation”, justification for similar verses, implication , to derive the implicit meaning from the explicit one, the purpose of words, and the factual interpretation (to express meaning through reference and mysteries). The term connotation has been commonly used by the savants, Sufis and the Baneyh. By the mentioned groups, connotation refers to cryptic/implicit meaning, the meaning which is not attainable through the common form of the words and the usual grammar rules, and need a sort of evidence and explicitation. As an instance, the verse “... فَاخْلَعْ نَعْلَيْكَ إِنَّكَ بِالْوَادِ الْمُقَدَّسِ طُوًى is used to connotatively refer to the fact of abandoning the world and quitting dependence on it.
However some characters by connotation mean and external material issue, and an external real fact that is an evidence for Quranic expressions (Hakim Book).
Note: what is meant by the term connotation in this discussion is Implication and factual interpretation of Quran (to express meaning through referring and mystery), though the term may mean to explicitate the implicit meaning or a similar justification, in this case however it possibly can be the same as implicit meaning and factual interpretation. The term “implication” stands against “form” and what is hidden from sense is called “factual reality”.
In Quran area, the issue of implication has long been discussed, the first instances can be found from Islam holy prophet traditions, quoted by Shia and Sunni, and then the term was widely used/discussed by Islam holy prophet family members, their companions and followers.
The case of meaning layers of Quran (implicit meanings) has been long considered by Quran interpreters and Quranic sciences ideologists. It is quoted from Sahl ibn Abdullah ibn Yunes Tustari (283 H.Q.) there is no end for deriving meanings from Quran letters .
Ibn Rushd Andolosi (595 H.Q.) sees Quran implicit meaning as real, the sort of meaning that their presence beyond the form of verses is undeniable.
Saade din Taftazani (791 H.Q.) names the belief in Quran implicit meaning as perfection of faith and pure theology, then he emphatically rejects the Batneyh’s belief of denial of verses forms and negation of Sharia,
Zarkeshi (794 H.Q.) had an emphasis on Quran implicit meaning and quoted traditions of form and implication from Islam holy apostle, Siuti (911 H.Q.) dedicated a chapter into the issue of form and implication, he referred to/analyzed the form and implicit meaning of traditions through 6 meaning types. Dr. Zahabi has recognized the traditions on form and the implication as true and emphasized the presence of “implication”.
Shia interpreters also emphasized the issue of implicit meaning and traditions on implication. For example, Ayashi in his iterpretation, Feyz Kashani in the opening of Safi interpretation widely discussed the cases of form and the implicit meaning.
Traditionalists also widely quoted traditions on implication, among them, Allameh Majlesi (1111 H.Q.) in Baharolanvar, has collected traditions on the said issue. He introduced 80 traditions on implication.
Jurisprudence principles sciences experts also regarded the issue of implication and some including Akhund Khurasani, Agha Zia idin Araghi and Ayatollah Khuoihas offered specific interpretations on it
Among the ideologists, Imam Khomeini introduced ontological meaning for implication, and realized implicit meanings as factual realities in the protected book.
Others including Shabeti, Nahavandi, Dr. Zahabi, Ayatollah Marefat saw implication the purpose of the verse, that the general rule is derived through infusion of the feature.
Allameh Tabatabai knows implication the hidden linear meaning of the verses, some others, including Ayatollah Makaim Shirazi, see implication as more than one meaning for the term/s used.
But it is quoted from Tabari and Bakhi that “the form of Verses is composed of their words and their implication, is the connotative meaning beyond the words”.
The above mentioned view is parallel to the tradition quoted from Imam Baqir (connotative implication).
And other believe that connotation is the mysteries of verses.
“The form of Quran is the meaning that is accessible to those scholars expert at the formal sciences, but the Quran implicit meanings, are hidden mysteries that God lets the Lords of facts have access to”.
What is important is that there are three fundamental views into connotation and implication in the history of Islam:
First: the Batneyh and Sufis’ view (extremist factuality-oriented view);
In the middle of second Hejri century, a group called “Khetabie” was formed who followed “Abulkhitab, Muhammad ibn Miqlas Kufi”. Abulkhitab was the founder of a type of factuality-orientedness, exaggeration and connotation-orientedness. They go forward till the point to claim that to recognize the truth causes the man to exempt from all Sharia formalities.
In the provided ground, another group called “the Batney” was born, that is seen as a sub-branck of Ismailieh cult.
Through a letter, a companion of Imam Sadiq asked for his opinion on the Batneyh Cult, Imam Sadiq replied the question as: “you wrote of a cult that I know them…. you are said that they think the knowledge of religion is knowing some people (The Batneyh’s Imams). You wrote the think the purpose of Praying, Zakat, Fasting, Haj, Umrah, Masjed al-haram and Mashar al-haram is a sole person….
Be aware that anyone of such a belief in my eye is a disbeliever… such people have heard some word but couldn’t understand them”.
Thereby Muslim scientist rejected the said cults. Nasafi and Taftazani rejected the Batney Thought as a sort of disbelief.
MullaSadra Shirazi warned about the Batney thoughts.
Allameh Tabatabai also notes that a group of Sufis only regard introvertive verses and disregarded extrovetive ones, thus they only focused on connotation of verses, even they abandoned the reduction….”, he then negates this method of interpretation.
Shahid Mutahri states: they have no place among all the Muslims (including Shia and Suni).
The denial of Quran form and solely focusing on the implications requires to reject Sharia, those factors that many of them were mentioned through the form of verses, and to rejects those mentioned orders is parallel to rejecting the requirements of the religion.
The method of extremist factuality-oriented Batneyh/Sufis groups entered into Quran interpretation, they interpreted Quran verses through and mystic connotative language so called “referring method of interpretation”. However the Sufis via two method of intuitive referring interpretation (Faiz method), use of explicitations and mystic intuitions for Quran interpretation, and the theoretical referring interpretation method, use of theoretical mysticism principles including the unity of being in Quran interpretation, two methods that were criticized by other interpreters, since explicitation and intuition is not valid for interpretation for 1. Explicitation includes two types of heavenly and fiendish, 2. What is explored is proved only by the explorer and it is not transferable to others. It was also recognized as wrong that what is explored may be imposed on Quran, the imposition (exploration) that was interpreted via explorer’s own ideology, therefore the method can make people dare to interpret connotations wrongly without any reason, Quran principles are sent for a specific group to be interpreted in accordance with their principles.
Ayatollah Marifat, through introducing “associating meanings”, attempted to offer a method for correcting savants’ Batneyh interpretations. It means those people are not to say that an expression is the meaning/interpretation of a verse, yet they are to point that via considering the verse, the mystic/factual expression comes to the mind.
Examples
Tustari in his factual interpretation; interprets “بسم الله” as below:
“ب” letter stands for God’s values, “س” for God’s praise, “م” for God’s glory, and “الله” is a great name that encompasses other names of God. Between “الف” and “ل” there is a hidden letter that an unseen from unseen toward the unseen, and a secret from secret toward a secret…. And “الرحمان” is a name in which there is a feature of a hidden “الف” and “ل”.
Qashiri Neyshaburi also in his Latayef al-Isharat writes about the verse “وَعَهِدْنَا إِلَى‏ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْمَاعِيلَ أَن طَهِّرَا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ” as below:
Apparently the verse order to clean the House of God, Kaaba, but the verse points into the purification of hearts and to prevent them from considering others than God.
Another example: it is quoted from the Sufis that in interpreting the verse “نَحْنُ خَلَقْنَاكُمْ فَلَوْلاَ تُصَدِّقُونَ” they say “«نحن خلقناکم باظهارکم بوجودنا و ظهورنا في صورکم” and about the verse “وَهُوَ مَعَكُمْ أَيْنَ مَا كُنتُمْ” they interpret “و هو معکم اينما کنتم لوجودکم به و ظهوره في مظاهرکم”.
Additionally about the verse number 8 of Muzmal Surah (وَاذْكُرِ اسْمَ رَبِّكَ) they have stated “واذکر اسم ربک الذي هو انت. أي اعرف نفسک و اذکرها ولاتنسها فينساک الله”.
However it is evident that such interpretations were made based on the unity of being quotation, a quote that is accepted by the majority of Sufis and savants.
In the field of Quran language, introducing views and evidences for mystic and connotative interpretations by the Batneyh and Sufis, some contemporary ideologist including Dr. Sajedi, Dr. Saeedi Rushan criticized the extremist use of mystic and connotative language for Quran. Some examples for the above mentioned usages will be mentioned in the following, about the Batneyh, Dr. Sajedi Writes:
“The Batneyh and the Sufis are two groups who stood against the formalists in the history of Islamic thought. Those who in understanding the religion, departed from rational discussion/speaking rules and lay importance on what is beyond the form of expressions. Inner-orientedness is a characteristics that firstly goes back to the Ismailieh cult, then to all people who in understanding the purpose of God, neglect the form of scriptures and solely rely on the inner facts.
The talking Sharia is totally composed of mysteries and exampes. Therefore the one who doesn’t see examples as meaning resources, and references as mysteries s/he will go unbeliever, to attain meaning isn’t solely possible through to explicitate the basis.
In Ikhvan al-safa epistles it is mentioned as below:
The majority of words by God, apostles and the wise has a mystic form, since a secret of secret is hidden from wrong-doers and none is aware of those mysteries but God and those who are firm in their knowledge, there are some hearts and minds unable of understanding those meaning, therefore he, peace and praise be upon him, said: “talk to men in accordance with their level of understanding” as to reveal heavenly secrets to them will be recognized as blasphemy.
Some special men of the wise, those who are firm in their knowledge, need no additional explanation, as they are aware of mysteries/secrets’ reality.
Among the words/books of Ismailieh it is possible to extract some rational/anecdotal reasons to prove the implications of Quran.
Nassir Khusrow explicitly states “the heaven doors are only open to the men of explicitiation”, in another section of his book he says:
“Salvation of the self is lying in the reality of the book and Sharia”.
The Sufis see Sharia rules as shackles and chains that will be removed at the time the savior emerges.