Nature of Quran interpretation

Quran is a divine text and needs interpretation. For example, some of its texts are similar. Hence, over last fourteen centuries, there has been a lot of interpretations and each one has had a way and a tendency in understanding and interpreting. Hence, some branches have been founded for foundations, regulations, ways and interpretative tendencies.
Such a way has been followed about a holy book (Turah, Bible and their examples). Hence, the scientific branch of hermeneutic was formed for understanding and interpreting a holy book as well as all kinds of texts.
Hence, it is necessary that a comparative analysis is done between the points of view of interpreters of Quran about the foundation and the ways of understanding and the points of view of the scientists of hermeneutic.
These comparison, analysis and criticism are effective and they prevent from extremes and limits and they may create new horizons in the ways of understanding and interpreting.
Conceptualization and background:
The matter of hermeneutic has been discussed in the matters of Quran for a while and some writers have presented it under the title '' the interpretative way of hermeneutic of Quran'' in the ways of the interpretation of Quran. Some other writers have discussed about the matter of hermeneutic in the area of the foundation of the interpretation.
With ignoring the rightness and the falsity of this matter, the matter of hermeneutic and its relationship with the interpretation of Quran, need analyses. The points of views of the matter of hermeneutic are so extended and different and the acceptance of each one needs specific necessities and it is in contrast with the necessities of the acceptance of another point of view. Hence, the analysis of this matter needs a dependent compilation.
We are trying in this writing to refer to some matters of hermeneutic, its acceptable consequences and its negative and abolished consequences. Hence, we will mention several matters:
First: the background of the matter of Quran and hermeneutic among Muslims:
The matter of hermeneutic started formally in the west from the seventeenth century, but the matter of the interpretation of Quran and hermeneutic have been presented in recent decades. Most of persons that have dealt with this matter have mentioned relationship between the interpretation of Quran and hermeneutic in books and articles. However, some persons have dealt with this matter independently such as Muhammad Mojtahad Shabestari in the book ''the hermeneutic of book and the tradition'' (1375 Sh), the magazine of the criticism of book of the interpretation about the idea of relativity and hermeneutic (1376), Abbasali Amid Zanjani in the foundation and the interpretative ways of Quran (1379 Sh), Ahmad Vaezi in the book '' introduction to hermeneutic'' (1380 Sh), Hussein Alavi Mehr in the book '' interpretative ways and tendencies'', Muhammad Ali Rezaei Isfahani in the book '' the logic of interpretation'', Ali Rabani Golpayegani in the book '' hermeneutic and the logic of understanding the religion'', Ghasem Pur Hasan in the book '' comparative hermeneutic'' and Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid in the book '' Ashkaliat Al-Tafsir and Aliat Al-Tavil'' . Of course, these persons have not had an equal point of view toward relationship Quran and hermeneutic; some of them had optimistic points of views, others had pessimistic points of views and still others have had fair points of views.
Second: conceptualization and the background of hermeneutic in the west:
A. the conceptualization of the hermeneutic:
The word '' hermeneutic'' means '' interpret'' from the word of Geek Language '' hermeneuin''. This word has been used since the time of Plato and it means to understand an ambiguous thing and position. Arastu used this word for naming a part of the book '' Arghonun'' that is about the logic of stories.
Some say '' this word basically means explanation, the turning out and the clarification of a message in Greek Language and its equivalence is '' interpretation '' in Arabic Language.
This word is used in Arabic Language literally and it includes one of following meanings:
1. Interpretation means in its extended meaning that a quality that clarifies and turns out an ambiguous topic. Therefore, Hermes was called the messenger of Gods, the interpreter of dynasty and a talker from Gods. Therefore, the people of Loster were called Pules Hermes because he was a pioneer in talking and was a person that interpreted Gods. Hence, a person that translates is not called an interpreter, but an interpreter is a person that explains and clarifies a difficult and complicated message.
2. Translation: changing a word to other word;
3. Explanation: the statement and the explanation of a difficult and complicated meaning that has been used in a meaningful statement;
But some have translated hermeneutic to '' return'' and even scientists call it ''returner''.
They have emphasized on this meaning on each and every page of the book and mention the interpretation of Ismaeilie and its similarity with Eskandarie as teachers that the Christians have learned from him the science of interpretation.
Before the seventeenth century, there was no specific branch of science that was called hermeneutic and after the seventeenth century, hermeneutic became a branch of the science of human.
The conception of hermeneutic was defined in different ways throughout history and they will be mentioned.
B. Hermeneutics throughout the history:
The science of hermeneutic means the interpretation of holy book or Hermeneutics Ghodsi and probably, the most common understanding of the word in the new era refers to the principles of the interpretation of holy books. When this word was used in the seventeenth century, it was necessary to understand the appropriate principles and the regulations of understanding the holy book that Nahle Protestant had turned away from the reason of the church of Catholics and was looking for the norm of the interpretation of holy books. The knowledge of hermeneutics in this meaning was more than the methodological rule of the interpretation and a way and logic for the interpretation of holy books. This meaning of hermeneutics covers a lot of these points of views and Shalayer Makher, Wilhelm Dilthey, Amiliobeti and Arik Hersh are considered as the examples of the supporters of this point of view.
Hermeneutic started formally from the seventeenth century. Dann Harver was the first person that included the word '' hermeneutic'' in the title of his book. The title of his book was hermeneutic Ghodsi or the way of the interpretation of holy books.
Some scientists consider religious modifications as the starting point of hermeneutic. However, Shalayer Makhara (1768-1834) is called the founder of the new hermeneutic. Hermeneutic was compiled as a way of thinking by Wiliam Dilthey(1833-1911) around a hundred years ago for the first time and his purpose was to promote the values of humanities and to equalize it with experimental sciences.
This theory has been dangling between the peak and the depth of wells and has got a lot of ups and downs. However, new thoughts have helped this theory to grow again and the factors of its growth include:
1. Linguistic structure has got deep effect on cultures and has been imposed on experience;
2. The experiences of human have interpretative nature and are expressed through culture and language.
In this area, Protestants (the talkers of Protestants) have got the most effect on in its modification and criticism.
Nasr Hamed Abu Zeid, the Egyptian intellectual person, says '' hermeneutic was presented in old science as well as new era and its sciences. Its pivot is based on the relationship and the interest of an interpreter toward clear texts and this pivot is not only for western thoughts, but it is observed in old and new Arabic works. However, since it is discussed the west part of the world, it is appropriate to share our thoughts with the western thoughts.
The scientists of hermeneutic emphasized on the intention of authors on understanding texts. Afterwards, another point of view appeared in hermeneutic. Martin Haideger (1889-1976) and Gadamer (1900) were its founders and philosophical search in understanding texts and the intention of authors was not highly important. Then it was emphasized on the understanding of texts and the intention of the author in the twentieth century with the appearance of Amilo Beti (1890) and Arik Hersh (1928) and hermeneutic formed tangibly.
Hermeneutic was considered as a scientific branch, but the Notification:
matters of hermeneutic were presented in the books of scientists before the seventeenth century under the title '' nameless hermeneutic'' such as: Sent Agustin, the Christian philosophy and talker, ( 430-454) considered the phlegm of the real meaning and virtual and metaphor meaning as the main reason of the ambiguity of holy books.
Some matters such as interpretation and the principles of jurisprudence and matters such as the theories of hermeneutic have been presented among Muslim scientists. In other words, some matters of the principles of jurisprudence deal with the regulations of understanding texts and interpreters deal with matters about the understanding and the interpretation of Quran in the articles of interpretation. The matters of the ways of the interpretation of Quran are considered as the matters of hermeneutic such as the interpretation of reference (as codes, ironically, as exemplification and …)
C. The definitions of hermeneutics:
Different definitions have been mentioned for hermeneutics such as:
1. John Martin Kladinus (1710-1759) considers humanities based on the art of interpretation and mentions hermeneutics its other name. Hermeneutics is the art of access to complete understanding and oral and written statements, of course, in cases that ambiguity happens.
2. Fedrik Agust Velf (1785-1807) defines hermeneutics in this way '' science includes regulations that help us to understand the meaning of signs''. The purpose of this science is to understand verbal and written thoughts of a writer or a speaker, according to what is thought''.
3. Ferderish Arnest Danil Shalair Makher( 1767-1834) looked at hermeneutics as the art of understanding . He paid attention to the matter of misunderstanding and believed that the interpretation of the text was at the risk of misunderstanding. Hence, hermeneutics should be applied as a system of practical and effective regulations for removing this threat. He considered the purpose of interpretation as the discovery of the intention of a writer and emphasized on two pivots:
First: the understanding of the structures of the kinds of statements and cultural and linguistic cases that the author existed with and determined and influenced;
Second: the technical and psychological understanding of s specific point of view or the creativity of the author.
4. Vilhelm Dilthey (1833-1911) considered hermeneutics as knowledge that took the responsibility of the methodological presentation of humanities. The main purpose of his attempts of hermeneutics was the promotion of validity and the value of humanity and its equality with experimental sciences. He relies on distinction between '' understanding '' and '' explanation''. The explanation of natural events relies on the employment of general events. However, a historian tries to know the factors of events so that he or she can discover their intentions, purposes, features and personalities in order to understand their actions. Understanding means '' I discover myself in you'' and this is possible due to the general human nature. His followers are Maks Veber from Germany (1920-1864) and Yavakhim Mark from Germany.
Babner, the contemporary writer of Germany, has defined Hermeneutics as '' training of interpretation''. Of course, this definition is in line with the philosophical hermeneutics of Martin Haideger( 1889-1976) and Hanes Gadamer( 1901). Gadamer believes that there are ideas according to our understanding and tries to analyze understanding and to explain the conditions of its gain and doesn't limit in the framework of the understanding of humanities. Haideger believes that in the societies of human, we know the world through presuppositions such as assumptions, expectations and conceptions. These form our understanding. Gadamer confirms the beliefs of Haideger and believed '' a text or a thing that is interpreted from specific point of view belongs to a specific tradition and creates a specific horizon that we can understand everything in its framework.
This horizon usually modifies in confrontation with things, but there are no tangible and final interpretations.