Abstract
Although many issues are explained in the Quran, one of the most fundamental issues is the relationship between God and the servant. It is explained in Koran that human beings make warm, vivid, and intimate contact with Almighty Allah through different prayers and good deeds. Commemorating, having a special role in the relationship with Allah, is ordered in many suras, and the ones commemorating Allah at any moment are praised. As the commemoration of Allah by His servants is told in Koran, the commemoration of humankind by Allah is told in al-Baqarah verse 152 and al-‘Ankaboot verse 45. There are different tafsirs and ta’wils by tafsir ecoles. One of these ecoles is the understanding of al-Ishari Ta’wils. The commentators who are devoted to this method state that they experience the narrations about the heart, worship, and exculpation of desires within the framework of seyr-i suluk (spiritual journey), and this experience gives rise to deepening in knowledge, and in this manner, they reach deeper knowledge, and they pay attention to this information as well as classical information in the tafsirs. In response to these explanations, such issues as accuracy and binding feature of Sufi Ta’wils have been discussed throughout history and some criteria on acceptance of Ishari comments are constituted. The issue of commemoration of humankind by Allah has witnessed different interpretations changing according to tafsir methods of interpreters and differences in the perceptions in basic issues. The commemoration of humankind by Allah that is explained in al-Baqarah verse 152, which states that “You remember me so that I remember you” was commentated by interpreters as Ibn Abbas (d. 68/687-88), al-Qushayri (d. 465/1072), al-Qurtubi (d. 671/1273), Elmalılı (1872-1942) and Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966) as Allah commemorates the ones who commemorate Him, in compliance with the logic of the verse and the information given in hadiths. The very same expression was interpreted by commentators such as Hasan al-Basrî (d. 110/728), al-Tabari (d. 310/923), al-Wahidi (d. 468/1076), and Ibn Ashur (1879-1973) as that Allah’s commemoration of humankind is with good deeds, mercy, and forgiveness with the effect of tanzih-based concept of Allah. Although this interpretation refers to Allah's remembrance of his servants, there is also a disagreement about the fact that it obscures the actual knowledge described in verses and hadiths, and that the warm and lively relationship between Allah and his servants has become distant and cold. Such commentators as Ibn Abbas, Hasan al-Basrî, Mukatil (d. 150/767), al-Tabari, al-Sulemi (d. 412/1022), al-Qushayri, Ibn Kashîr (d. 774/1373) and al-Biqâî (d. 885/1480) explained this as a commemoration of humankind by Allah. The same expression was explained by scholars as al-Farra (d. 207/822), al-Zamahsari, al-Bagavi (d. 516/1122), al-Razi, Ibn Ashur, (1883-1971), al-Marâgî (d. 1883-1952), and al-Mawdudi (1903-1979) as the commemoration of Allah by His servants. In the verse, the importance of prayer and how it cleanses people from bad deeds is explained. Then, by saying "وَلَذِكْرُ اللّٰهِ اَكْبَرُ", a comparison is made between the prayer and worship of the servant and the commemoration of the servant by Allah. Allah ordains, "O my servants! Although it is important that you pray and worship, it is more valuable that I commemorate you in my own sight". However, it is understood that issues such as insufficient attention to the context, the effect of theological perceptions, rationalism, and criticism of Sufistic approaches seen in some commentaries in the modern period obscure the real meaning of the verse. Therefore, it causes a lack of understanding of the warm and lively relationship between Allah and the servant, which is described in verses and hadiths and is a necessary goal. Furthermore, it is observed that al-Ishari interpretations on which there have been disputes regarding their health and bindingness are within the same direction with the judgments made in verses and contain deep information on the issue.