Epistemic tolerance in the hermeneutic view of Ayn al-Qadat Hamdani

In epistemology, human cognitions are accompanied by limitations and errors. The error possibility in understanding the truth is one of the cases that justify the truth of tolerance. This study examines tolerance from its epistemological aspect using an analytical method based on the traditional hermeneutic views of Ayn al-Qud'at al-Hamadani. In this paper, we seek to answer the fundamental question of how Ayn al-Qud'at al-Hamadani justified epistemic tolerance in his traditional hermeneutic perspective. The findings indicate that, in Ayn al-Qud'at's thought, individuals are at different levels of epistemology. Even for a complete mystic in a state beyond reason knowing the truth is impossible, let alone for those stuck in the state of reason. On the other hand, the transmission of knowledge is also not possible, except through similar words; its understanding is also different due to linguistic limitations and restrictions in audience understanding. Therefore, this possibility of error and the existence of limitations in knowing the truth can be considered the most important factor justifying tolerance; it results in "cognitive humility", which manifests itself for the mystic as "astonishment", and for the non-mystic, in "interpretation", which paves the way towards changeability, which is the product of admitting epistemic impotence.
Extended abstract
 
1. Introduction
 “Tolerance” is translated as accepting the other and refraining from imposing values on others (Rajabi and Nasiri, 2015: 553-554). Often, when the discussion of tolerance in religion is raised, the first understanding of it is the affirmation of pluralism, which in religion results is the affirmation of all possible readings of religion and in ethics promotes relativism. However, such a superficial understanding of tolerance is incorrect; because tolerance is focused on openness and acceptance of the right of another to choose, even if the choice is wrong, for this reason it can open a third way against dogmatism and relativism. Although the concept of tolerance as defined above does not exist in Islam, and most of the discussions that have been raised under this issue in the Islamic tradition do not mean tolerance, but rather religious tolerance, in which a sense of rightness and superiority over opponents is seen. But one can find possibilities in the Islamic religion that have opened the way to tolerance, the most important of which is the tradition of Islamic mysticism. Ayn al-Quzat al-Hamadani is one of the mystics who has paid attention to the issue of epistemological tolerance in his opinions and thoughts. The basic question of the present study is how Ayn al-Quzat Hamadani justified epistemological tolerance in his traditional hermeneutic perspective. Therefore, the author of these lines has chosen Ayn al-Quzat's views as a research example from among the traditional hermeneutic perspectives in order to, in addition to describing and analyzing the views of this thinker, provide a model according to which to present the hermeneutic perspectives of Muslim mystics in an epistemological format regarding tolerance, and to provide a basis for tolerance in Islam from hermeneutic ethics - recognizing the possible legitimacy of the other.
2.Research method
This research was conducted in a descriptive-analytical manner using library resources. Initially, the relevant sources in the field of tolerance as well as the works of Ayn al-Quzat Hamedani in the field of epistemology were studied and important topics were extracted from them. Then, the justification of epistemic tolerance in Ayn al-Quzat Hamedani's perspective was explained and analyzed.
 
3.Discussion
Ayn-ul-Quzat Hamedani places the position of reason in the knowledge of truth in two areas: rational and beyond rational, the difference between these two areas being related to knowledge and the means of knowledge. Normally, humans have the possibility of gaining knowledge through sensory and rational perception, but this knowledge cannot be immune from error through its tools (the five senses and reason). In addition to its errors and the different capacities of individuals in utilizing it, reason has limitations that, according to Ayn-ul-Quzat, its ultimate ability is to reach the certain knowledge, and it is prevented from reaching higher levels, the ultimate of which (reason) is the beginning of knowledge. On the other hand, to reach the state beyond reason, another possibility and tool (the heart) is needed, which, as Ayn al-Quzat points out, is not provided for everyone to reach the same level of knowledge due to intrinsic and non-essential veils, and the number of those who reach the level of Haqq al-Iqin - immediate knowledge of truth - is scarce; because any intermediary, whether it is reason or heart, has limitations in reaching truth. This is where Ayn al-Quzat opens a window towards hermeneutics; because it is possible for the perfect mystic to convey what he has found about truth to those who have not, through language, and here again the role of reason as a means of translation through words and vocabulary becomes important. From the perspective of Ayn-al-Quzat, it is only through similar words that such a possibility for transmitting knowledge exists, because similar words are used in both the realms of reason and beyond reason; but the relationship between word and meaning is adjectival, not real, and these words also have different meanings in each realm (Mirbagheri Fard and Niazi, 2010: 273);
Now, we can turn the discussion from the realm of traditional Ayn-al-Quzat hermeneutics to the realm of epistemological tolerance. As mentioned, from the epistemological perspective, all the means that man has to attain knowledge are limited, inadequate, and subject to error, and the possibility of attaining knowledge is not possible except for a few due to the inherent and non-inherent obstacles to knowledge, and these people are also at different levels of knowledge. For this reason, he does not even consider absolute truth to be the last stage of knowledge, but rather introduces the ultimate knowledge as “astonishment” arising from ignorance (Ayn-ul-Quzat Hamedani, 1994: 109). According to Ayn-ul-Qudsat, it is not possible to know the truth even for a complete mystic, let alone for those who have remained stuck in the state of reason. On the other hand, the expression of knowledge is also diverse and inadequate due to language limitations and the different levels of understanding of individuals. For this reason, the possibility of error and the existence of limitations in knowing the truth can be considered the most important factor justifying tolerance, the result of which is "cognitive humility" that manifests itself as "astonishment" for the mystic and as "interpretation" for the non-mystic, paving the way for changeability resulting from epistemic impotence.
4.Result
Although Ayn al-Quzat, like other Muslim mystics, believes in a single truth or right, he considers the degrees of knowledge of this truth to be different due to the nature of this truth itself, as well as the differences in the level of understanding of the audience and the inherent and non-inherent obstacles, and even in the field of his traditional hermeneutics he points to language and conceptual limitations. And after pointing to the last degree of knowledge, namely ignorance and the astonishment that results from it, he forces us to a form of epistemic humility that can provide possibilities for tolerance in Islam that can be a third way that keeps us away from the epistemic exclusivism that tends to dogmatism and on the other hand, is different from the epistemic pluralism that leads to relativism; rather, it can unite all humans in their common epistemic impotence.
 
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