The esoteric transformation of Qur'ānic concepts from Mukātil b. Sulaymān to Qushayrī

This study examines the transformation of Qur'anic concepts from their literal (ẓāhirī) meanings to allegorical (ishārī) interpretations throughout the exegetical development from Mukātil b. Sulaymān to Abū'l-Qāsim al-Qushayrī. The main aim of the research is to reveal the semantic deepening of Qur'anic concepts during the transition from the early exegetical tradition to the Sufi interpretive approach. This topic is significant for understanding the deeper semantic structure of the Qur'an and for evaluating the relationship between tafsīr (exegesis) and taṣawwuf (mysticism). The study is based on Mukātil b. Sulaymān's (d. 150/767) Tafsīr al-Kabīr and Abū'l-Qāsim ʿAbd al-Karīm b. Hawāzin al-Qushayrī's (d. 465/1072) Laṭāʾif al-Ishārāt. The analysis focuses on knowledge- and gnosis-centered concepts such as ḥikmah (wisdom), baṣīrah (insight), ʿilm al-ladun (divine knowledge), and yaqīn (certainty), as well as spiritually oriented notions such as ʿubūdiyyah (servitude), walāyah (sainthood), dhikr (remembrance), ikhlāṣ (sincerity), īthār (altruism), and taqwā (piety). The research employs conceptual and comparative analysis to contrast Mukātil's narrative-based, linguistic approach with Qushayrī's inward, heart-centered and mystical interpretive method. The findings show that Qur'anic concepts evolved over time from a rational and literal framework toward a more spiritual and experiential depth of meaning. In summary, the study reveals the allegorical transformation of Qur'anic concepts within the exegetical tradition, presenting their historical and intellectual dimensions and explaining the conceptual interaction between exegesis and Sufism.