Promoted post: Quran 3:7 and 4:82 – A Cumulative Commentary in Light of Science, Philosophy, and Theology and The Glorious Qur’an 4:82 – Overcoming Inner Conflicts through Divine Consistency

Presented by Zia H Shah MD

1. Introduction: The Crisis of Definition and the Ismaili Solution

In the vast and variegated landscape of Islamic thought, the concept of the Sunnah—the exemplary custom, practice, and way of life of the Prophet Muhammad—stands as a central pillar of the faith. It is the lens through which the Divine Word of the Qur’an is refracted into human action. However, the mechanism by which this Sunnah is preserved, interpreted, and applied constitutes one of the most profound theological divergences between the major branches of Islam. For the Sunni majority, the Sunnah is largely textually enshrined in the canonical Hadith collections—a retrospective compilation of reports verified by chains of transmission (isnad). Conversely, within the Shi‘a Ismaili tradition, the Sunnah is conceptualized not as a fossilized historical record but as a “living tradition,” organically preserved and dynamically interpreted through the hereditary institution of the Imamate.

This report provides an exhaustive examination of the Ismaili view of the Sunnah. It argues that for Ismaili Muslims, the Sunnah is not a static set of rules derived from 7th-century Arabia, but a fluid, ethical, and spiritual orientation that is continuously actualized by the Imam of the Time. By traversing the theological foundations of authority, the historical codification of Ismaili law under the Fatimids, the hermeneutics of Zahir (form) and Batin (essence), and the modern articulations of the Aga Khans, this analysis demonstrates how Ismailism resolves the tension between ancient tradition and modern complexity.

The Ismaili approach posits a fundamental epistemological distinction: while the Qur’an is the silent revelation (Kitab Samit), the Imam is the speaking Qur’an (Qur’an Natiq). Consequently, the Sunnah is not merely what the Prophet did in the past, but what the Prophet would do if he were present today—a guidance made accessible through his spiritual successor. This dynamic framework allows the community to navigate issues ranging from bioethics to global finance without abandoning the core ethos of the Prophetic example.

2. Theological Foundations: Epistemology of the Living Sunnah

To grasp the Ismaili conception of the Sunnah, one must first dismantle the conflation of Sunnah (practice) and Hadith (report) that characterizes much of popular Islamic discourse. Ismaili theology relies on a sophisticated critique of text-centric epistemology, favoring instead a model of continuous, divinely guided leadership.

2.1 The Dichotomy of Sunnah and Hadith

In Ismaili intellectual discourse, a sharp distinction is maintained between the Sunnah of the Prophet and the Hadith literature. The Sunnah is defined as the “living, breathing organic practice” of the Prophet—his character, his ethical decisions, his method of worship, and his stewardship of the community.¹ It is a comprehensive mode of being, an “orthopraxy” that was witnessed by the entire community and transmitted through mass practice (tawatur).

In contrast, Hadith are viewed as oral narrations about the Sunnah—snapshots of specific moments, often fragmented and decontextualized. Ismaili apologists argue that the Prophet Muhammad never commissioned a compilation of Hadith, nor did he leave behind a book entitled Sahih Bukhari or Sahih Muslim.² The reliance on isolated Hadith reports, which were compiled centuries after the Prophet’s death, is seen as a methodological innovation that risks reducing the vibrant, holistic life of the Prophet to a set of disjointed, and potentially corrupted, texts.

The Ismaili argument suggests that reliance on Hadith alone is fraught with peril due to the historical vagaries of transmission. As noted in contemporary Ismaili discourse:

“The hadith WERE fragments and snippets of the sunnah, which at times became a mechanism to convince people of controversial issues… The hadith is transmitted on the basis of one from one and can be corrupted, added to, mistakenly transmitted, leave out important details, have hidden defects, and so on”.²

This critique aligns with the methodology of the Maliki school of Sunni jurisprudence, which prioritized the Amal (practice) of the people of Medina over solitary Hadith reports (Ahad). The Malikis argued that the collective action of the community in the city of the Prophet was a “living Sunnah” that carried more weight than a text transmitted by a single narrator.² Ismailis take this logic a step further: the “living Sunnah” is not preserved by the geography of Medina, but by the biology and spirituality of the Prophet’s progeny, the Imams.

2.2 The Authority of the Living Imam

The central pillar of Ismaili theology is the doctrine of the Imamate. Ismailis believe that the spiritual authority (Walayah) of the Prophet Muhammad did not cease with his death but was transferred to his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, at Ghadir Khumm.⁵ This designation (Nass) initiated a hereditary line of Imams who serve as the sole legitimate interpreters of the revelation.

Because the Imam possesses the “Light of God” (Nur), his guidance is functionally equivalent to the Prophet’s guidance for his specific era. This has profound implications for the concept of Sunnah. For a Sunni traditionalist, a new problem (e.g., cryptocurrency or cloning) must be solved by finding a precedent in the 7th-century texts and applying analogy (Qiyas). For an Ismaili, the problem is solved by referring to the Imam of the Time, whose guidance is the contemporary expression of the Sunnah.

This resolves the epistemological crisis of modernity. The Sunnah is not a fossil to be excavated but a living stream. As stated in Ismaili discussions on authority:

“The Sunnah is a ‘living tradition’ that is organically passed down from one generation to the next… We would like to remind our readers that the Prophet (saw) is reported to have said, ‘I leave you two things. The Qur’an and my Sunnah.’ He (saw) did not say ‘I leave you the Qur’an and Hadith’”.²

2.3 The “Two Weighty Things” (Hadith Thaqalayn)

Ismaili polemics heavily utilize the Hadith Thaqalayn (“The Tradition of the Two Weighty Things”) to substantiate their view of authority. This tradition is recorded in both Sunni (e.g., Sahih Muslim, Tirmidhi) and Shi‘a sources. The Prophet is reported to have said:

“I leave behind me two weighty things: The Book of Allah and my Progeny (Itrat). If you keep yourselves attached to these two, never, never will you go astray. Both are tied with a long rope and cannot be separated until the Day of Judgement”.⁷

For Ismailis, this Hadith is the “Magna Carta” of their epistemology. It explicitly couples the Qur’an not with a book of traditions, but with a living family. This implies that the true Sunnah can only be accessed through the lens of the Ahl al-Bayt (the Family of the House). Any attempt to reconstruct the Sunnah through texts that bypass the Imams is viewed as a deviation from the Prophet’s explicit command. The Imam is the “Speaking Qur’an,” and thus, the living embodiment of the Sunnah.⁹

Table 1: Comparative Epistemologies of the Sunnah

Feature	Sunni Traditionalism	Shi‘a Ismaili Tradition
Primary Source	Canonical Hadith Books (Kutub al-Sittah)	The Living Imam (Hereditary Successor)
Verification Method	Isnad (Chain of Narrators) Criticism	Nass (Designation) & Authority of the Imam
Nature of Sunnah	Static, Textual, Historical Precedent	Dynamic, Living, Evolutionary
Resolution of Ambiguity	Qiyas (Analogy) & Ijma (Consensus)	Ta’wil (Esoteric Interpretation) by Imam
View of Innovation	Bid’ah (Innovation) is generally negative	Innovation guided by the Imam is necessary evolution
Role of Ahl al-Bayt	Respected, but not the sole source of law	The exclusive, infallible repository of the Sunnah

2.4 The Critique of the “Shrinking Cage”

A critical aspect of the Ismaili view is the rejection of what His Highness Aga Khan IV has termed the “shrinking cage” of traditionalism. In his 1976 address to the Seerat Conference, he argued that viewing the Sunnah as a rigid set of historical actions traps the believer. If Muslims are forced to replicate the 7th century in the 20th century, the faith becomes an “invisible trap”.¹¹

Instead, the Aga Khan argues that the “traditional concept of time” in Islam is a “limitless mirror in which to reflect on the eternal.” The Sunnah provides the ethical principles (integrity, generosity, social justice), but the forms of applying these principles must evolve. This allows the Sunnah to remain a liberating force rather than a restrictive one.

3. Historical Codification: The Fatimid Synthesis and Da’a’im al-Islam

While the concept of the “Living Sunnah” emphasizes fluidity, Ismaili history also contains periods of rigorous legal codification, most notably during the Fatimid Caliphate (909–1171 CE). This era required the translation of Ismaili theology into a functioning state law, a task spearheaded by the great jurist Qadi al-Nu’man.

3.1 Qadi al-Nu’man: The Architect of Ismaili Jurisprudence

Abu Hanifa al-Nu’man ibn Muhammad, known as Qadi al-Nu’man (d. 974 CE), is the towering figure of Ismaili jurisprudence. Serving under four Fatimid Imam-Caliphs, he was commissioned by Imam al-Mu’izz li-Din Allah to compile the definitive code of Ismaili law. His monumental work, the ** Da’a’im al-Islam ** (“The Pillars of Islam”), remains the primary legal text for the Musta’li branch of Ismailism (the Bohras) and a revered historical source for the Nizari branch (followers of the Aga Khan).¹²

The Da’a’im represents a critical intervention in the history of the Sunnah. At the time, the Muslim world was awash in contradictory Hadith reports. Qadi al-Nu’man’s task was to sift through this mass of material and select those traditions that aligned with the teachings of the Imams, thereby “purifying” the Sunnah.

3.2 Methodology of the Da’a’im: Authority Over Narrative

The methodology employed in the Da’a’im al-Islam differs radically from the Sunni collections of Bukhari or Muslim.

1. Rejection of Isnad: Unlike Sunni collectors who validated traditions based on the reputation of the chain of narrators, Qadi al-Nu’man frequently truncated or omitted the isnad. He relied on the authority of the transmitter—usually Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq or Imam Muhammad al-Baqir—rather than the chain. If the Imam said it, it was the Sunnah; no further verification was required.¹³
2. Rejection of Ra’y and Qiyas: The work opens with a fierce polemic against the use of personal opinion (Ra’y) and analogical deduction (Qiyas) in law. Qadi al-Nu’man argues that God would not leave His religion incomplete, requiring humans to guess (deduce) the law. Instead, the Imam is the repository of all necessary knowledge. If a situation arises, the answer is with the Imam, not in the analogies of jurists.¹³
3. Centrality of Walayah: The first “pillar” in the Da’a’im is not prayer or fasting, but Walayah (devotion/allegiance to the Imam). This structural choice underscores that all other pillars (prayer, alms, pilgrimage) are invalid without the recognition of the rightful guide who interprets them. The Sunnah of prayer, therefore, is void without the Sunnah of following the Imam.¹⁴

3.3 The “Family of the Prophet” as the Filter

The Da’a’im relies almost exclusively on traditions transmitted through the Ahl al-Bayt. This serves a dual purpose: theological and political. Theologically, it asserts that the family of the Prophet are the only ones who truly knew his mind and practice, untainted by the political machinations of the Umayyads or Abbasids. Politically, it established the Fatimid Caliphs as the sole legitimate heirs to the Prophetic authority.¹⁴

Qadi al-Nu’man writes of the confusion in the Muslim community where “teachings have been forged” and people follow “leaders from among the ignorant”.¹⁶ By codifying the Da’a’im, he aimed to restore the true Sunnah, which he believed had been obscured by the “people of Hadith” (Sunni traditionalists) and the “people of opinion” (Sunni rationalists).

3.4 Divergence within Ismailism: Nizari vs. Musta’li

It is crucial to note the divergence in the usage of the Da’a’im after the Fatimid collapse.

• Musta’li Ismailis (Dawoodi Bohras): They treat the Da’a’im as a fixed, canonical code of Sharia. Their practice of the Sunnah is highly legalistic and closely mirrors the Fatimid-era rituals described in the text.¹⁴
• Nizari Ismailis (followers of the Aga Khan): While they revere the Da’a’im as a foundational text proving their commitment to the Sharia, they do not view it as binding law for all time. The “Living Sunnah” of the current Imam takes precedence. The Da’a’im is studied as part of their intellectual heritage (at the Institute of Ismaili Studies) but is not the code of daily practice.¹⁷

4. Hermeneutics: Zahir (Form) and Batin (Essence)

Perhaps the most distinctive feature of Ismaili engagement with the Sunnah is the hermeneutical balance between Zahir (the apparent, exoteric form) and Batin (the hidden, esoteric meaning). This dualistic approach allows Ismailis to interpret the Prophetic tradition in ways that transcend literalism, viewing the physical actions of the Sunnah as symbols for spiritual truths.

4.1 The Theory of Ta’wil

Ismaili theology, deeply influenced by Neoplatonism, posits that the material world is a reflection of the spiritual world (Alam al-Ibda). Consequently, every religious commandment and every action of the Prophet has an external shell (Zahir) and an internal kernel (Batin). The Prophet Muhammad, through Tanzil (revelation), brought the Zahir (the Sharia). The Imam, through Ta’wil (esoteric interpretation/leading back to the origin), reveals the Batin.¹⁹

This hermeneutic suggests that the “true” Sunnah is the spiritual state of the Prophet, not just his physical motions. As explained in Ismaili educational materials, “The Zahir needs the Batin… Whenever you perform the Bay’ah ritual, that is still a form and yet it is batin”.²¹ The ultimate goal of the believer is to penetrate the Zahir to reach the Haqiqah (Ultimate Truth).

4.2 Case Studies in Esoteric Sunnah

The application of Ta’wil to the pillars of Islam illustrates how the Ismaili view of the Sunnah transforms ritual into spiritual pedagogy.

4.2.1 Salat (Prayer)

• Zahir: The physical performance of the five daily prayers, involving standing, bowing, and prostrating, facing the physical Ka’ba in Mecca.
• Batin: The Ta’wil of Salat is the “adoration with the thinking soul.” It symbolizes the summoning (Da’wa) of the soul to the Imam. Turning toward the Ka’ba symbolizes turning one’s heart toward the “Qibla of the Spirit” (the Imam of the Time), who is the true House of God.²⁰
• Implication: This hermeneutic explains why Nizari Ismaili prayer (Du’a) differs in form from the standard Sunni Salat. The Imam of the Time, exercising his authority over the Zahir, has prescribed a form of prayer that emphasizes the Batin (remembrance of God and the Imam) over the rigid physical postures of the traditional Sunnah. The focus shifts from the “shell” (posture) to the “kernel” (meditation and loyalty).²²

4.2.2 Wudu (Ablution)

• Zahir: Washing the face, hands, and feet with water before prayer.
• Batin: A spiritual pledge of allegiance. Washing the face symbolizes turning away from false Imams. Washing the hands symbolizes withdrawing them from forbidden acts and extending them to the Imam in Bay’ah (allegiance). Wiping the head symbolizes submitting one’s intellect to the guidance of the Imam.²¹
• Implication: For an Ismaili, performing the physical ablution without the internal spiritual cleansing renders the act hollow. The Sunnah of Wudu is fulfilled only when the physical washing is accompanied by the renewal of the covenant with the Imam.

4.2.3 Hajj (Pilgrimage)

• Zahir: The physical journey to Mecca to circumambulate the Ka’ba.
• Batin: The journey from the state of ignorance to the presence of the Imam to acquire knowledge. The Ka’ba is the symbol; the Imam is the reality. To visit the Imam is the “True Hajj”.²⁰
• Implication: Throughout history, when access to Mecca was blocked or dangerous, Ismailis emphasized the Batini Hajj (visiting the Imam). This is not seen as abandoning the Sunnah, but fulfilling its higher purpose.

4.3 The “Kernel” of Islam

Ismailis view their Tariqah (path) as the “kernel of Islam” that the Prophet separated from the common injunctions. This perspective holds that the Prophet practiced a deep, spiritual form of worship—the prayer of the heart—during his Mi’raj (Ascension) and his night vigils. He taught this esoteric Sunnah to a select circle, primarily Ali ibn Abi Talib. Therefore, when Ismailis practice the Batin, they believe they are following the ultimate Sunnah of the Prophet—the spiritual state he occupied during his most intimate moments with the Divine.²²

5. The Modern Era: Aga Khan III and the Sunnah of “Nature”

The transition of the Ismaili community into the modern world required a re-articulation of the Sunnah that could withstand the pressures of colonialism, secularism, and scientific advancement. Sir Sultan Mahomed Shah, Aga Khan III (1877–1957), the 48th Imam, provided this through a modernist interpretation that aligned the Sunnah with the laws of nature.

5.1 Islam as a Natural Religion

Aga Khan III famously argued that “Islam is fundamentally in its very nature a natural religion”.²³ In his Memoirs and letters, he posited that the God of the Qur’an is the Creator of the Universe, and therefore, the “Ayats” (Signs) of God are found not just in the Book, but in the laws of physics, biology, and astronomy.

From this premise, he argued that the Prophet’s Sunnah was not anti-scientific or purely ritualistic. Rather, the Prophet encouraged the pursuit of knowledge. Consequently, scientific inquiry is a religious duty. The Aga Khan lamented that Muslims had “drifted away” from science, which he called “the study of those very laws and orders of nature”.²³

5.2 The “Message to the World of Islam”

In his final years, Aga Khan III issued a “Message to the World of Islam,” which serves as a testament to his vision of the Sunnah. He urged Muslims to:

1. Abandon Nostalgia: “Be no more hypnotized by the dead glories of the distant past”.²⁴ He viewed the obsession with recreating the exact forms of the 7th century as a hindrance to progress.
2. Intellectual Debt to the Prophet: He argued that the true way to honor the Prophet was to pay the “intellectual debt” owed to him by advancing in science, industry, and economics.²⁵
3. Active Engagement: He redefined the Sunnah of “struggle” (Jihad) as a struggle for human dignity, health, and education. “Struggle is the meaning of life; defeat or victory is in the hands of God… Happiness is to be won by men who are fully alive”.²⁶

This interpretation effectively transformed the Sunnah from a set of ritual constraints into a mandate for modernization. To follow the Prophet was to be at the forefront of human progress.

6. The Modern Era: Aga Khan IV and the Sunnah of Service

The current Imam, His Highness Prince Karim Aga Khan IV (b. 1936), has further developed the concept of the “Living Sunnah,” focusing heavily on the ethical dimensions of the Prophet’s life as a blueprint for pluralism and civil society.

6.1 The Seerat Conference (1976): A Manifesto for Modernity

One of the most significant articulations of the Ismaili view of the Sunnah in the 20th century was the Aga Khan’s Presidential Address at the International Seerat Conference in Karachi in 1976. In this speech, he directly addressed the question: How can the life of the Prophet guide a modern society?

He identified specific attributes of the Prophet that constitute the “foundations” for a dynamic Islamic society:

“His example of integrity, loyalty, honesty, generosity both of means and of time, his solicitude for the poor, the weak and the sick, his steadfastness in friendship… his wisdom in conceiving new solutions for problems which could not be solved by traditional methods, without affecting the fundamental concepts of Islam”.¹¹

Key Insight: The phrase “wisdom in conceiving new solutions for problems which could not be solved by traditional methods” is a radical theological statement. It implies that the Prophet himself was an innovator who broke with tradition to solve the problems of his time. Therefore, the true Sunnah is innovation in the service of ethics. To merely repeat the “traditional methods” of the past is, paradoxically, to abandon the Prophet’s method of solving problems.

6.2 The “Shrinking Cage” Metaphor

In the same speech, the Aga Khan warned against a rigid, retrospective understanding of the faith:

“Thus it is my profound conviction that Islamic Society in the years ahead will find that our traditional concept of time, a limitless mirror in which to reflect on the eternal, will become a shrinking cage, an invisible trap from which fewer and fewer will escape”.¹¹

This metaphor of the “shrinking cage” serves as a powerful critique of fundamentalist interpretations of the Sunnah. If the Sunnah is reduced to a list of “do’s and don’ts” regarding dress, beard length, and gender segregation, it becomes a trap that suffocates the believer in a changing world. The Ismaili alternative is to view the Sunnah as a “limitless mirror”—a source of eternal ethical principles that can be reflected in infinite new forms.

6.3 The Ethic of Service (Khidmat) and the AKDN

For Aga Khan IV, the Sunnah is operationalized through the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN). The network’s agencies—which build hospitals, universities, parks, and power plants—are not secular NGOs in the Western sense, but expressions of the “Living Sunnah.”

The Imam links this directly to the Prophet’s “solicitude for the poor, the weak and the sick”.¹¹ When an Ismaili doctor treats a patient in a remote village, or an Ismaili architect designs a sustainable building, they are practicing the Sunnah. This moves the locus of the Sunnah from the mosque to the marketplace and the clinic. The concept of Khidmat (service) becomes a form of worship (Ibadat).²⁷

6.4 Pluralism as Prophetic Practice

Addressing the “clash of ignorance,” Aga Khan IV frequently cites the Prophet’s “historical footprints” to argue for pluralism. He notes that the Prophet lived in a diverse society and drafted the Constitution of Medina to include Jews and Christians as part of the Ummah (in a political sense). Thus, the modern Ismaili emphasis on pluralism and cosmopolitanism is presented not as a capitulation to Western values, but as a revival of the authentic, tolerant Sunnah of the Prophet.²⁸

7. Comparative Analysis: Ismaili Stance on Sunni Canonical Texts

A frequent point of contention and curiosity is the Ismaili stance on the “Six Books” (Kutub al-Sittah) of Sunni Islam, particularly Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim.

7.1 Status of the “Sahih” Collections

Ismailis do not regard Sahih Bukhari or Sahih Muslim as canonical or binding. The Institute of Ismaili Studies clarifies that while these books contain historical data, they are not the primary source of guidance for Ismailis.⁹ The Ismaili critique rests on several points:

1. Late Compilation: These books were compiled over 200 years after the Prophet, allowing ample time for political corruption and fabrication, particularly by regimes hostile to the Ahl al-Bayt.
2. Narrator Bias: The isnad system validates narrators who may have been politically aligned with the Umayyads, while often sidelining the Imams of the Prophet’s family.
3. Fragmentary Nature: As noted in Ismaili polemics, Hadith are “fragments and snippets” that lack the holistic context of the “living breathing organic practice”.²

7.2 Strategic Usage

However, Ismaili Imams and scholars do not reject these books entirely. They employ them strategically:

• Polemical Validation: Ismailis frequently cite Sahih Bukhari and Muslim to prove the legitimacy of Ali’s succession (e.g., the Ghadir Khumm tradition, though often sanitized in Sunni versions, or the status of Fatima) to Sunni audiences.²⁹
• Ethical Corroboration: When a Hadith in Bukhari aligns with the ethical teachings of the Imam (e.g., “Whosoever establishes prayers in the night of Qadr…”), it is cited as corroborating evidence of the continuity of the faith.³⁰

7.3 Unity in Diversity

Despite these differences, modern Ismaili leadership emphasizes “Unity in Diversity.” Aga Khan III urged Ismailis to show “true Islamic charity in thought” toward other sects and to pray in Sunni mosques if necessary (practicing Taqiyya or simply Muslim solidarity).²⁵ The goal is not to denounce the Sunni view of the Sunnah, but to offer the Ismaili view as a valid, intellectual, and spiritual alternative that enriches the broader Islamic mosaic.

8. Conclusion: The Ever-Living Guide

The Ismaili Muslim view of the Sunnah is a testament to the tradition’s adaptability and intellectual depth. It refuses to lock the Prophet Muhammad in the past. Instead, through the institution of the Imamate, it invites the Prophet’s authority into the present.

For the Ismaili, the Sunnah is:

• Living: Embodied in the Imam of the Time.
• Esoteric: Possessing a soul (Batin) that transcends its body (Zahir).
• Ethical: A mandate for service, integrity, and social justice.
• Rational: Aligned with the laws of nature and the intellect.

By shifting the locus of authority from the recorded text to the living guide, Ismailism solves the dilemma of “scripturalism.” It allows the believer to hold fast to the “rope of God” without being tethered to the social customs of the 7th century. In the words of the Hadith Thaqalayn, by holding to the Qur’an and the Progeny, the Ismaili feels secure that they will “never go astray,” finding in their Imam the living face of the Prophetic Sunnah.

Table 2: Key Figures and Texts in the Evolution of Ismaili Sunnah

Figure / Text	Role/Title	Contribution to Sunnah	Key Quote/Concept
Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib	1st Imam	Foundation of Walayah; the “Gate” to the Prophet’s City of Knowledge.	“He whose Mawla I am, Ali is his Mawla.”
Qadi al-Nu’man	Fatimid Jurist	Author of Da’a’im al-Islam; codified Ismaili Law.	Rejection of Qiyas; Sunnah via Ahl al-Bayt only.
Aga Khan III	48th Imam	Modernist reinterpretation; Islam as “Natural Religion.”	“Islam is fundamentally… a natural religion.”
Aga Khan IV	49th Imam	Institutionalization of Sunnah as “Service” (Khidmat).	The “Shrinking Cage” vs. “Limitless Mirror.”
Nasir Khusraw	Da’i / Philosopher	Esoteric interpretation (Ta’wil) of rituals.	“Adoration with the thinking soul.”