The relativity of understanding between Islamic scholars and advocates of philosophical hermeneutics

Abstract

The research deals with the opinions on the concept of the relativity of understanding, a subject that has been discussed in the field of hermeneutics and has found its way into many literary and religious disciplines. Although it appears to be a recent concept, some Islamic scholars have addressed aspects of it in their writings. After presenting introductory remarks on the subject, we traced the roots of some hermeneutical topics in the writings of Islamic scholars. We examined the views of two advocates of philosophical hermeneutics and the relativity of understanding and also considered the opinion of Al-Sadr. To express our view on the subject, we divided the religious texts into several sections, indicating that relativity does not affect texts that can be understood in a fixed and unchanging manner. We then presented the texts that can be subjected to philosophical hermeneutics. Finally, we provided evidence that appears to support the assertion of Islamic scholars regarding the relativity of understanding.