Abstract
Humankind has always made many attempts to correctly comprehend and interpret the universe and everything in it. In this way, it's natural to have meaning and comprehension where there's man, and interpretation where there's comprehension. Even though the hermeneutic effort began with the goal of "understanding and giving meaning to existence," it has evolved to a "thorough signification" of religious texts that claim to offer a meaning to existence. Concrete elements such as "language and wording," which are prominent elements that enable the understanding of sacred texts, lead those involved in hermeneutic activities to investigate the formation processes of words and images, their semantic dimensions, and their relationships with social life. It can be stated that the hermeneutic effort causes the author of the text to focus solely on revealing his true purpose and intention because the apparent and esoteric dimensions of words, as well as their different and multiple-meaning potentials, bear clear indications that they contain fundamental truths apart from the meanings that first come to mind. Three aspects influence the process of comprehension and interpretation in this context: The owner of the text, the text itself, and what the interpreter understands from the text are the most important factors. The "Hermes" element, which is said to oversee reducing divine texts to a level that ordinary people can comprehend, plays an important role in the comprehension process, which is based on the principle that the purpose of the owner of the text may not correspond to what is understood from the text. The fact that "what the reader understands" is based on the principle in the aforementioned triple cycle of comprehension as Hermes is distinguished by the task of explaining divine holy texts that ordinary people are incapable of understanding, also serves as a point of divergence from concepts such as ta'wil that emerged unique to the Qur'an. Because ta'wil is founded on the principle of "converting words with potentially varied meanings to those with meanings backed by other valid evidence and establishing the meaning as the author's purpose" among the words in religious texts described as "nas". Paying attention to drawing a parallel between the purpose of the text's owner (shar'i) and the meaning deduced from the text, as well as the sensitivity displayed in this regard, prevents ta'wil interpretation from being utilized for personal and subjective opinions. As a result, the individual conducting ta'wil, the word subject to ta'wil, and other conditions determined by the procedural authorities regarding the evidence of the ta'wil have always been given priority. Furthermore, because the major goal of ta'wil is to expose the author's intent, the result is anticipated to be objective and free of the effect of human elements. Subjective assessments that do not comply with the aforementioned concerns have no shar'i significance in this regard. In addition, the identity of the mystical personality corresponding to the "Hermes" aspect in hermeneutics is crucial in comparing the two notions. Although it appears at first glance to refer to a "prophet," it can be claimed that it refers to scholars or mujtahids who explain religious scriptures in a way that the public can understand and infer regulations that are sanctioned by moral principles. The shar'i warns his interlocutors in this case as well, that the sentences, which are the method by which He reveals his true aim, should not be distorted or altered. As a result, it is impossible to distinguish between the two notions, and it is incorrect to overlook their close relationship. Based on the changes and transformations in the Western world, it is vital to assess from various angles the claim that the hermeneutic technique used to interpret sacred scriptures can also be used to interpret the Qur'an through ta'wil. Given the close relationship between the two concepts, it is crucial and necessary to identify their similar and diverging features in this context. The present study aims to reveal that ta'wil and hermeneutics are two different concepts in purpose and means and that their shared elements in some issues do not necessitate they be identical in every aspect.