Academy of Education Journal

Vol. 16, No. 1, January 2025, Page: 73-83

ISSN: 1907-2341 (Print), ISSN: 2685-4031 (Online)

Hafiz Abdurrahman et.al (Epistemology Of Ahmad Sirhindi's Interpretation In….)

Epistemology Of Ahmad Sirhindi's Interpretation In

The Book Of Mektubat Rabbani

Hafiz Abdurrahman

a ,1

, Sukiman

b,2

a,b

North Sumatra State Islamic University, Medan, Indonesia

abdurrahmanhafiz30@gmail.com;

[email protected]

ARTICLE INFO

ABSTRACT

Article History:

Accepted: 29 September 2024

Revised: 27 November 2024

Approved: 15 December 2024

Available Online: 1 Januari 2025

Epistemological changes can also affect the development of interpretation

depending on the nature of science, the social context and the time in which

the interpreter is located. Currently, not only philosophy, epistemological

problems also spread to other disciplines such as interpretation. This study

analyzes the epistemology of Ahmad Sirhindi's interpretation in the book

Mektubat Rabbani to find out the sources used in the interpretation, the

methods used to conduct the analysis, the patterns produced from the

analysis, and the validity of the results of the analysis. This research is a

qualitative research that uses a content analysis model and the type of library

research related to books, journals, and others. The results obtained from

this study include the integration between interpretation bil ma'tsur which

is sourced from the Qur'an and hadith with interpretation bil ra'yi which

shows the personal opinions of the interpreter, with this the book Mektubat

Rabbani falls into the category of interpretation bil iqtirani when viewed

from the source of interpretation. The interpretation made by Ahmad

Sirhindi using many parameters and characteristics can be included in the

category of Isyari Interpretation according to its method. The most dominant

style of this interpretation is shufi, as well as kalami, fiqhi, siyasi and falsafi.

Ahmad Sirhindi's Mektubat Rabbani is based on pragmatic theory, which

presents solutions to the problems and confusion faced by society.

Keywords:

Epistemology

Interpretation

Rabbani's Mektubat

This is an open access article under CC BY -SA license

1. Introduction

Since the revelation of the Qur'an, the Qur'an has been a guide for all humans, wherever

they are and whenever until the end of time. Its role as a book that guides life in this world and

in the hereafter is not limited to people living in a certain time and place. The Qur'an is different

from other holy books in this regard. The Qur'an includes a large number of laws that encourage

good and forbid evil in addition to historical narratives that serve as a moral compass for modern

humanity (Umar, 2014). Interpretation of the Qur'an has been carried out since the time of the

Prophet and is still carried out today. Regarding the terms used in the science of the Qur'an,

interpretation is a means of explaining the meaning and substance found in the verses of the

Qur'an (Al-Qaththan, 2015). This is intended so that through the interpretation of the Qur'an,

Muslims can access the Qur'an, accept its truth, and feel its positive influence. This will enable

them to adhere to the standards that Allah has set, such as bashirah (knowledge-based worship)

(al-Utsaimin, 2008).

Tafsir is divided into two categories by Abdul Mustaqim: interpretation as a process and

interpretation as a product. As a product, interpretation is described as a dialectic that occurs

between the text of the Qur'an, the interpreter, and the context that surrounds it. This dialectic is

then documented in books of interpretation, which can contain 30 chapters or several chapters,

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ISSN: 1907-2341 (Print), ISSN: 2685-4031 (Online)

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or perhaps several verses of the Qur'an. Meanwhile, interpretation, as a process, is an intellectual

exercise that seeks to reconcile the Qur'an with das sein, or reality, which is always developing

and changing. Thus, interpretation is a thought process that will continue until the Day of

Judgment (Mustaqim, 2020). One type of interpretation is the isyari interpretation. This type of

interpretation is an interpretation known to the Sufis because there are hidden signs other than

the literal meaning of the Qur'an and do not contradict the literal meaning. Tafsir Isyari is the

interpretation of the Koran according to several hidden meanings and signs that are only known

to those who are on the right path and can be reconciled with its literal meaning. In other words,

tafsir ishar is the interpretation of the Qur'an in a way that is in accordance with its literal

meaning, but beyond its literal meaning, by people who know the secrets of the Qur'an through

the enlightenment of the horizon of vision by Allah (swt), or by people of knowledge who have

been given by Allah (swt) subtle meanings through inspiration and discovery. This kind of Isyari

interpretation is based on inspiration and signs that appear in the heart according to the conditions

and position of the Sufi (Ad-Dzahabi, nd).

As a result, this tafsir is a type of tafsir that approaches and interprets the Qur'an with the

knowledge of laduni that Sufis obtained by internalizing and analyzing as a result of their

asceticism. Among the arguments for the existence of Tafsir Isyari are the words of Allahu Ta'ala

in the Al-Qur'an: "Do they not think about the Al-Qur'an? If the Qur'an came from other than

Allah, surely they would find in it many things that are not appropriate." (QS an-Nisa: 82) And

in another verse, "Allah has bestowed upon you worldly and ukhrawi blessings."(QS

Muhammad: 24). It was said, "What happened to this people that they did not immediately

understand a single word?" (QS an-Nisa: 78) These verses lead to the interpretation of Isyari. Al-

Syaṭibi interpreted these verses as follows: “When Allah swt. reproaching the polytheists for 'not

understanding the words', He did not mean that they did not understand the literal meaning.

Because they were Arabs, they understood the outward meaning of the Qur'an al-Karim.

However, what is meant by this statement is that they do not understand its inner meaning (As-

Sarraj, 1960). Allah cursed them for not understanding this inner meaning. Allah also invites

them to reflect on His verses and understand their true meaning and go beyond their limits. When

Allah takes away understanding and knowledge from a people, they cannot understand the zahir

meaning or the ultimate meaning. Only people who have been given knowledge by Allah can

understand the true meaning, namely the inner meaning behind the spiritual meaning (Ad-

Dzahabi, nd).

The source of all Islamic knowledge is the Qur'an and Sunnah. While sciences such as

jurisprudence and theology use the path of "istidlal and nazar" through reason in interpreting

these sources, Sufism uses the path of "discovery and inspiration", namely the path of laduni

knowledge. However, to attain the secrets of this knowledge requires a certain spiritual maturity

through asceticism and struggle. There are several expressions in the Qur'an and Sunnah that can

be evidence that humans can attain some subtle insights, inspirations and knowledge as a result

of worship, piety and spiritual improvement. In short, the conditions that must be present in an

interpretation so that the interpretation can be accepted by the majority of scholars, including: a)

The interpretation must not contradict the literal meaning of the Qur'an al-Karim, b) The

interpretation must not state that its meaning is not the literal meaning, but only the meaning of

figurative language, and c) The interpretation must not be too weak and far from the wording of

the Qur'an so that it is impossible to do.

One of the experts in the interpretation of the isyari is Ja'far al-Shadiq (148/765), the

grandson of Zayn al-Abidin, the son of Husein bin Husain (Khalikan, 1948). His friend and

student, the great Sufi Sufyan bin Sa'id al-Tsauri (161/778) and his student, Abdullah bin

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Mubarak, were among the interpreters of the tabiin and tabi'ut tabiin periods (181/797) (Ates,

1974). When the ascetic movement developed after the period of tabi'in and tabi'ut tabi'in and

love of Allah became the main theme, the ishari tafsir developed in parallel with this, taking up

concepts such as zuhud and taqwa as well as the concepts of fana fillah. In this period, there were

three great Sufis who played the greatest role in the development and systematization of Sufi

tafsir. They were: Sahl ibn Abdullah al-Tustari (283/896), Junayd al-Baghdadi (298/910), and

Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Musa al-Washiti (331/942) (Al-Sulami, n.d.). Towards the end of the

fourth century AH, there was a major development in the ishari tafsir. Orally transmitted tafsirs

were replaced by stand-alone tafsir books. Some of the scholars who paved the way for this are

as follows. Abu Abdurrahman al-Sulami (412/1021), Abu Ishaq al-Sa'lebi (427/1035),

Abdulkarim al-Qusyairi (465/1072), Abdullah al-Anshari (481/1089), Imam al-Ghazali

(505/111), Abdul Kadir al-Jaylani (561/1165), and Ruzbihan Bakli (606/1209).

Among the many works of interpretation written by the mufassirs, the author would like

to focus on the interpretation of Mektubat Rabbani by Ahmad Sirhindi. He, who is often called

Imam Rabbani, was a Sufi and multidisciplinary scholar who lived in the late 16th and early 17th

centuries. His understanding of jihad was shaped by the driving forces of the historical

background of his time. Many deviant groups emerged at that time. The basic understanding of

these deviant groups was to discredit the revelation and consider it no longer valid because a

thousand years had passed since the arrival of the Prophet. They tried to build an eclectic

understanding of religion by taking part in all religions. In conditions like this, Ahmad Sirhindi

tried hard to purify religion from superstition and obey the Prophet. He carried out his guidance

activities by sending letters to people who were politically, scientifically, and spiritually

influential in the area where he was. For his efforts, he was given the title Mujaddid Alf Sani

(Reformer of the Second Millennium Hijri).

Ahmad Sirhindi, who completed his memorization at a young age, included many verses

of the Qur'an in his letters and other works. When interpreting these verses, he sometimes

mentioned them figuratively and sometimes in a straightforward manner. When he felt joy and

success in what he interpreted, he quoted verses that indicated God's favor, and when he felt tired

and obstructed, he sought a way out with the verses he quoted in the form of prayers. This

research consists of a study of Imam Rabbani's understanding of the Qur'an and the theological,

legal, political, and theological interpretations of the verses he discussed in the letters. These

letters will later be collected into the book Mektubat Rabbani (Nesriyat, 2017). This book is very

interesting to study because it was written in Persian, translated into Arabic more than a century

ago, and widely accepted, especially in Muslim countries that use Turkish (Atalay, 2020). The

ishari interpretation method used by Ahmad Sirhindi in interpreting texts may be a fairly foreign

method used by Islamic boarding schools in Indonesia.

The author will investigate this book in more detail by using epistemology as an object or

formal method. By using epistemology, this book of interpretation can be studied

comprehensively and conceptually, starting from the source of the interpretation and continuing

to the style, writing process, and validity of the interpretation. In short, the research of the

epistemology of interpretation using Ahmad Sirhindi's work, Mektubat Rabbani, as a material

object is something new and has never been done before. Points regarding the epistemology of

interpretation, namely the sources used by the interpreter in interpreting the verses of the Qur'an,

the approach used in explaining the interpretation of the verses, the characteristics that emerge

from the results of the interpretation, and the validity value of the work of interpretation-will be

highlighted in this article.

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2. Method

This type of research is library research because it is in the form of a literature review

and starts from the problems to be studied and the data to be obtained. The literature review

attempts to identify research gaps by analyzing and synthesizing the body of knowledge

already available on the research subject. Some of its objectives are to provide a theoretical

basis or background for the research, to examine the scope or depth of previous research on

the subject, and to address practical problems by referring to previous research findings. All

of this research material is taken from published literature, including books, journal articles,

and Tafsir books. The condition of this data is considered sufficient to be used as raw material

for research, so that it is not difficult to assess and draw conclusions based on research.

3. Results and Discussion

Biography of Sheikh Ahmad Sirhindi

In Ahmad Sirhindi, the twenty-third caliph of the Naqshbandiyya Order, was born in the

city of Sirhind in India on the day of Ashura in the year 971 (AD 1564). His name was Ahmad,

his father's name was Abdullahad, his grandfather's name was Zaynalabidin. His nickname was

Badruddin and his nickname was Abu'l-Barakat. His lineage reaches the Companion Umar ra.

in the 28th lineage. Sheikh Muhammad Bakibillah gave him the name "Imam Rabbani" and he

is better known as "Imam Rabbani". He is called " Mujaddid Alf Sani " because he is the

mujaddid (reformer) of the second millennium of the Hijri, and he was first described with this

characteristic by His Eminence Abdulhakim Sialkoti, one of the Indian scholars. He is also

nicknamed "Sîla" which means unifier because of his unification between Ahkamiyah and

Sufism. Because he was a descendant of Umar ra, he was called "Farukî" and because he came

from the city of Sirhind, he was called "Sirhindi" which refers to that city. With all these

qualifications, his name is Imam Rabbani Mujaddid Alf Sani Syekh Ahmad Faruki Sirhindi. He

comes from the Hanafi madhab.

His father and grandfather were great scholars, pious people of their time. His father,

Abdulehad, was a virtuous man who was a scholar in the intellectual and spiritual sciences and

reached a high level in Sufism. When he was traveling to show the right path to people in his

youth, in a famous city in India, a pious woman who belonged to one of the leading communities

of that country understood that Abdulehad was a blessed person. This woman had a sister who

was pure and had good qualities. She made an offer to Abduhâd to marry her sister. Imâm-i

Rabbânî Hazretleri was born from this marriage. Imam Rabbani suffered from a serious illness

in his childhood. His father took him to Shaykh Shah Kamal Qadiri, who was his shaykh from

the Qadariyyah lineage. The shah said, "Don't be afraid. This child will live a long life, he will

become a great scholar with great knowledge, a great scholar, a person with a high spiritual level

and a unique sage".

He started his early education with his father. He memorized the Holy Quran at a young

age. Then he got involved in the study of sciences. After learning most of his knowledge from

his father, he went to the city of Sialkot. He learned some inner sciences very well from a famous

scholar of that time, Mawlana Kamaluddin Kashmiri. Maulana Kamaluddin Kashmiri was the

teacher of the famous scholar Abdulhakim Sialkoti and the greatest scholar of his time. He also

learned hadith from Maulana Yakub al-Kashmiri as-Sarfi. After that, he read hadith, tafsir and

some books of fiqh and ushul from the scholar Qadi Bahlul al-Badahsyi. When Imam Rabbani

was only seventeen years old, he received ijazah from all the sciences of akli and nakli, ushul

and furu'. During his education, he was involved in the Qadiriyyah, Suhrawardiyyah and

Chistiyyah orders through his father and he was given permission by his father to guide and

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become a caliph in these orders. While his father was still alive, he began to teach spiritual and

spiritual sciences to students. At this young age, he wrote the treatise Radd al-Rawafidh to refute

the Shiites, Risalatut Tahliliyyah and Isbatun Nubuwwah, in which he discussed issues related

to prophecy. He was very interested in literature, to the point that his fashohah and balaghoh, his

speed of communication, and his intelligence were at a very high level.

One year after his father's death, in 1008 (A.D. 1600), he set out from Sirhind to reach

Mecca and Medina. When he reached Delhi, Hasan Kashmiri, one of his acquaintances there

and a member of the Naqshbandi order, took him before Sheikh Muhammad Baqibillah. Imam

Rabbani was given allegiance by Sheikh Muhammad Baqibillah and continued his conversation.

With his superior abilities and the help and guidance of his teacher, within two months, he

achieved qualities and perfection not seen in others. Then he was ordered to return to Sirhind

with the full diploma given by his teacher. When Imam Rabbani returned to his hometown, he

began training his students. Students come from all over the world to benefit from his

knowledge. He revived and strengthened the Sunnah of Rasûlullah SAW. He encouraged the

sultans and leaders at that time to adhere to religion and the Sunnah with his letters and produced

many scholars and wise people. Even in the last days of his life, he firmly instructed his students

to continue their studies and attached great importance to this.

Imam Rabbani died in Sirhind on 28 Safar 1034 (1624 CE) at the age of 63. His tomb is

in Sirhind, a city in the province of Punjab, which is now within the borders of India. Sheikh

Ahmad Sirhindi produced several works, among others: a) Mektubat, this is the most famous

and widely read work of Imam Rabbani. Imam Rabbani wrote his letters in Persian and only six

letters were written in Arabic; b) Ta'yid-i Ahl-i Sunnah ( Risale Der Redd-i Revafiz ) is a Persian

work written by him to refute the corrupted Shia beliefs; c) Risalah fî Isbatin Nubuwwah , this

is a treatise written to prove the necessity of the existence of prophets by Imam Rabbani, who

fought against the religion created by Akbar Shah, d) Risalah fi al-Mabda' wa al-Ma'ad

(originally in Persian, translated into Arabic by Muhammad Murad Kazani and published in the

margins of the second volume of Maktubat); e) Al-Mukasyafat al-Ghaybiyyah ; f) Jazbah and

Suluk ; g) Maarif Laduniyyah ; h) Risalah Tahliliyyah ; i) The Law of the Awarifil Maarif of

Shihabuddin al-Suhrawardi ; j) The Law of the Rubaiyyati of Hace Abdulbaki , and; k) The

Manners of the Students.

Maktubat Rabbani Book and Presentation of its Interpretation

Maktubat consists of three volumes and consists of 534 surahs. The first volume of

Maktubat was compiled in 1025 (1616 CE) by Yar Muhammad Jadid Badahsyi Talkani, one of

the famous students of Imam Rabbani. There are three hundred and thirteen surahs in the first

volume. Imam Rabbani wanted the first volume to end with three hundred and thirteen surahs to

match the number of the Messengers and the companions of Badr. The first twenty surahs of the

first volume are called ‘arîza’. These are the letters that Imam Rabbani wrote to his teacher. He

began these letters with the word ariz or maruz. In these letters, he presented his spiritual

condition and the progress of his students. The second volume of the letters with his hint was

collected by one of his students, Abdulhay bin Haji Chakerhisari in 1028 (1619 CE). This second

volume was completed in ninety-nine surahs to match the number of ninety-nine Asmaul Husna

of Allah SWT.

The third volume was compiled by Haja Muhammad Hashim Kishmi, one of Imam

Rabbani's students, in 1031 (1622 CE). The number of letters in this volume was intended to be

113 to match the number of names of Allah SWT, Baqi, which are counted alphabetically.

However, when the letters began to be collected for the fourth volume, their number was too few

for one volume, so they were added to the third volume and the number of letters in the third

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volume became one hundred and twenty-two. Thus, three volumes were formed consisting of

534 letters. Maktubat was translated from Persian into Turkish by Mustakimzade Suleyman

Sadettin Efendi in 1158 (1745 CE) and printed in 1270-1277 (1853-1860 CE). This book was

translated into Arabic by Muhammad Murad Kazani under the title " ad-Durar al-Maknunat "

and published in Makkah al-Mukarramah in 1317 (1899 AD). This Arabic translation was first

published in Istanbul in 1963. It is still printed by Fazilet Nesriyat.

The hadiths mentioned in Mektubat have been analyzed by Muhammad Said in his book

entitled " Tasyid al-Mabani fi Tahriji Ahadisi Maktubat al-Imam ar-Rabbani ". When Imam

Rabbani's method of interpretation of the verses of the Qur'an is analyzed in general, examples

of bil ma'tsur and bil ra'yi can be identified. Imam Rabbani's interpretation of the verses of the

Qur'an in bil ra'yi is isyari (interpreting with vague signs). In interpreting the verses in his work,

Imam Rabbani sometimes refers to the history of Ibn ʿAbbas (d. 68 H/687 AD), Zamakhsyari

(d. 538/1144), al-Razi (d. 606/1210), al-Baidhowi (d. .685/1286), and al-Nasafi (d.710/1310).

Afterwards, Imam Rabbani was mentioned by Muḥammad Senaullah Panipeti (d.1225/1810) in

Tafsir al-Mizan.

As for Imam Rabbani's method in mentioning the verses of the Qur'an in his works, he

made the verse itself the focus and mentioned it in talmih (alluding) and istisyhad (quoting).

Imam Rabbani sometimes quoted the verse and gave his interpretation in the following lines of

the letter. Sometimes he gave his interpretation and gave the verse at the end of his explanation.

However, the relationship between the verse and Imam Rabbani's interpretation is very clear.

1. An example of Imam Rabbani who first mentioned the verse, then interpreted it, and at the

same time interpreted and concluded it with the verse:

"In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Allah Ta'ala says: "Allah

will change their bad deeds into good deeds." (QS al-Furqon: 70) With Allah's grace and

glory. His Messenger, the Prophet SAW, the behavior of the owner of knowledge reached

such a level that what was bad for others became good for him. For example, hypocrisy

was considered bad behavior and morals the ugly. However, it becomes good for him and

replaces praise and gratitude because the dervish who has reached this level has abandoned

all forms of grandeur and arrogance and has attributed all that to Allah Ta'ala, goodness

and perfection, he knows it all from Allah SWT, not from his own soul. He sees nothing

but shortcomings and evil in himself. He feels his nafs in a state of weakness, need, and

submission (Rabbani, Vol II, nd). Therefore, if something that can be considered perfect

is directed to him, he will see it as a ladder to climb higher and reach Allah SWT, the

owner of greatness and majesty. Therefore, the same is true with goodness, beauty, deeds

and virtues, his soul has no share in them, they are only ladders for his ascent. For example,

in the case of showing off and fame, the goal is not to become famous and praised, glorified

and exalted. Rather, the goal is to show off Allah's favors and be grateful for His favors,

so that what was originally considered as showing off and fame, turns into praise and

gratitude to Allah Ta'ala, and changes from reprehensible behavior to praiseworthy

behavior. The same is true with other qualities. Allah Ta'ala says: "So Allah changed their

bad deeds into good deeds. Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful." (QS al-Furqan: 70).

2. An example of Imam Rabbani's istisyhad (quotation) of a verse in his letter which provides

information about the degrees of negligent people:

"Do not misunderstand! This difference is only between the saints. Because after both of

them reach the final stage of their ranks, a saint in the stage of akhfa is higher than another

saint in the stage of heart, but this is not the case with the prophets and saints. The

guardianship of a prophet is superior to the guardianship of a saint who is in the stage of

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akhfa, even though he is in the stage of heart. This situation does not change even though

the saint has reached the final stage of his position. This is because the guardianship of the

saints is always below the feet of the prophet who is the owner of the guardianship. Allah

Ta'ala says, "Indeed We have promised Our servants, the prophets. They will surely be

victorious. Our army will surely be victorious." (QS as-Saffat: 171-173) (Rabbani, Vol I,

nd).

3. An example of Imam Rabbani's talmih (alluding) to this verse in his interpretation of how

the Qur'an gives guidance to the seekers:

"My Imam and guide in this work is the word of Allah, my boss is the Qur'an. If it were

not for the guidance and direction of the Qur'an, the path to worshiping the true God would

not have been opened. On this path, every latent and more latent thing would cry out, "I

am Allah" and lure the traveler of the path of Sufism into the trap of worshiping it. Even

if the form and quantity of the latent thing were known, it would appear as if its essence

were unknown. Even if it resembled material things, it would present itself as if it were

separate from them. Here it is difficult to distinguish between the jaiz and the wujub, the

created and the uncreated. Falsehood appears as truth, and illusion as guidance. The Sufi

traveler, like a blind traveler, turns to each of them saying, "This is my Lord." (QS al-

An'am: 76). Allah praises Himself as "Creator of the heavens and the earth" (QS as-Shura:

11). He stated that He is "the Lord of the East and the West" (QS ar-Rahman: 17). During

the spiritual ascent, when the Sufi travelers attribute these characteristics and attributes of

Allah to imaginary gods and desire these attributes in themselves, then those imaginary

gods flee from them and become extinct. Instead, the Sufis turn away from all that by

saying, "I do not love the sunken," (QS al-An'am: 76) and they do not turn their attention

to anything other than the Essence of Allah Ta'ala" (Rabbani, Vol II, nd).

In particular, the letters in which he mentions a verse at the beginning of his letter and then

comments on the verse mostly coincide with the third volume. From this it can be concluded that

he intended to create a more organized work of interpretation before his death. These verses

number eleven. Slightly shifting from the method of interpretation to the style of interpretation,

in the book Maktubat Rabbani one can easily find interpretations that are directed towards

Sufism studies so that this book is dominated by the color or style of al-shufi interpretation. Not

only al-shufi interpretation appears in this book, several other styles also take positions in

various verses such as the style of al-kalami, al-fiqhi, al-siyasi and al-falsafi.

Epistemological Analysis

Epistemological studies related to the science of interpretation have become increasingly

popular since they were introduced by Abdul Mustaqim through a dissertation discussing the

thoughts of two contemporary interpreters, Muhammad Syahrur and Fazlur Rahman, which was

later turned into a book entitled Epistemology of Contemporary Interpretation. The theory of the

nature, source, and validity of knowledge adopted from one branch of philosophical research

was well received. If epistemological theory is naturalized into interpretation research, then the

discussion will focus on what sources are used as the basis for research, as well as what methods

are used to pour ideas and concepts into interpretation so that it becomes a complete work of

interpretation.

In this study, the book Maktubat Rabbani by the scholar Ahmad Sirhindi, who was born

in the city of Sirhind in India in 1564, will be examined critically and epistemologically. In our

study it has been concluded that Imam Rabbani, although he was very skilled in the zahiri

sciences, he made interpretations based on kashf and ilham. According to him, kashf (revealing)

is a reliable source, as long as it does not go beyond the limits of the Shari'a and obedience to

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the Prophet. When we look at the works of Imam Rabbani, we see that he generally interpreted

the verses in the way of istisyhad and telmih. In our opinion, the reason for this is because he

and especially the companions to whom he sent letters had a deep understanding of the verses

of the Qur'an. We can give an example that he did not mention the verse of interest itself,

although he commented on the verse in his letter in which he advised that interest should be

strictly avoided. His interpretation of the verse itself is usually found in the third volume of the

letter. Based on this determination, it can be understood that Imam Rabbani wanted to create a

comprehensive work of interpretation before his death.

Imam Rabbani's interpretation of the verses includes examples from history and direct

interpretation. The interpretation in terms of dirayah (bil ro'yi) is an ishari interpretation.

According to him, each letter of the letters of the Koran contains all the virtues in a nutshell. The

same priority in the long letters is also found in the short letters. Every surah, every verse, and

even every word has its own special virtue and virtue. The person who reads the verse or surah

becomes part of the meaning contained in the verse. Imam Rabbani stated that a lack of

understanding of the Qur'an will lead to the decline of i'jaz verses of the Qur'an, and thus can

become a means of increasing one's faith. Imam Rabbani believes that it is inappropriate to use

the word tafsir. According to him, interpretation depends on hearing. Therefore, interpretation is

the right of the friends. While ta'wil is choosing one of the possible meanings, as long as it does

not contradict the Qur'an and Sunnah, and this can be a method that can be used in interpreting

the Qur'an. There are threats to those who interpret the Qur'an. The Qur'an according to his own

opinion, but does not apply to those who interpret it according to their own opinion. Because

they do not claim that their interpretation is the will of Allah (Al-Maturidi, 2005).

According to Imam Rabbani, Al-Qur'an al-Karim covers all Sharia laws and also all

previous Sharia laws. Imam Rabbani divides the laws that can be deduced from the Koran into

three parts. He stated that the first part can be understood by lay people who have knowledge of

lughat, and the second part can be mastered by those who have the ability to ijtihad and istinbat.

The third part, the decisions of the Qur'an, are decisions that are beyond the ability of human

understanding. These are laws that the Prophet could only know through Allah's revelation.

These laws are associated with the Sunnah of the Prophet. Imam Rabbani was very careful in

mentioning the people or sources he quoted in his comments. Refraining from takfir, Imam

Rabbani uses expressions such as "the person who says this will lose his faith" or "so and so

scholars have made takfirnya" for situations that he thinks need to be takfir.

Imam Rabbani established a connection between the Qur'an and the month of Ramadan

through the nature of kalam. According to him, because the nature of kalam is to collect all

essential perfection, the month of Ramadan collects all goodness and blessings. For this reason,

the Koran was revealed in the month of Ramadan. Imam Rabbani stated that tarekat is impossible

without fulfilling the commandments of the Shari'a. According to him, submitting to the dalil

(Al-Qur'an and Sunnah) and submitting inspiration to revelation is the right path and direction.

Therefore, citing the verse "Seek a way to get closer to Him" as proof, he said, "This is also one

of the commandments of the Shari'a to look for a murshid who can be a means of knowing the

tarekat and guiding it." Imam Rabbani considered attachment to a murshid as an important

condition for spiritual discipline. He considered attachment to a murshid as education. He stated

that attachment to the murshid will never precede attachment to Allah.

Imam Rabbani showed that the belief that emerged in him after he passed through the

stages of suluk (Cebecioğlu, 1997) was that the purpose of suluk was to reach the state of

sincerity. What can be known with postulates can also be known with kasyf. According to him,

the realization of the station of sincerity depends on the annihilation of all gods, both external

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and internal. The Ikhlas stations mentioned above are one of the three parts of the Shari'a known

as science, charity, and sincerity. Tariqat and Haqiqat are subject to Sharia in sincere maturity.

Imam Rabbani defended the concept of wahdat al-syuhud against the concept of wahdat al-

wujud. Imam Rabbani evaluated the concept of wahdat al-syuhud based on the verses of surah

an-Nahl 16/60, surah an-Nur 24/35, and surah Insan 76/1. Imam Rabbani explained this view

with the example of the sun and the stars. When the sun rises, the stars are not visible. At that

time, if someone says, “There are no stars in the sky, there is only the sun,” and believes in it,

then it reflects the understanding of the wahdat al-wujud people. According to Imam Rabbani,

this is an illusion of perception. The person who thinks, “I cannot see anything in the sky except

the Sun, but this does not mean that there are no stars; there are stars, but the stars it has been

obscured and cannot be seen because of the very bright light of the Sun”, is given as an example

of the state of the people of wahdat al-syuhud. Although Imam Rabbani opposed Ibn al-'Arabi's

understanding of wahdat al-wujud, he used a style of language that was full of respect against

Ibn al-'Arabi.

Imam Rabbani used the zahiri science in dealing with the common people and applied the

principle of ease, while with the caliphs and his students who were competent in the field of

Sufism, he dealt with the hafizh and ordered them to act earnestly. He opposed the categorization

of innovation as something good and bad. According to him, there is no beauty in innovation.

Imam Rabbani said that the opinions of the mujtahids should be combined as much as possible

in order to act with a unanimous opinion. For example, Imam Shafi'i stipulated the intention in

performing ablution. Therefore, a Hanafi must also have an intention before performing ablution.

Although Imam Rabbani stated that the study of theology and philosophy contributed to his

journey and became a bridge between him and the Divine miracles, he also stated that philosophy

that does not originate from the light of prophethood is an empty and useless science. According

to him, the attitude of prophethood is outside the attitude of philosophical reason. Imam Rabbani

considered the philosophers' approach to reason and its levels as confusing and likened it to the

Jews turning over the calf of Samaria.

In this study, we have tried to review the verses that Imam Rabbani included in the

Maktubat, but it is impossible to mention all of them in detail. Therefore, we have included in

this study the interpretation of verses whose interpretations are concentrated on more verses or

verses that can be connected to other verses. According to Abdul Mustaqim in his book

Epistemology of Contemporary Interpretation, one of the issues that is no less important in the

study of the epistemology of interpretation is measuring and measuring the truth of an

interpretation in terms of how far the work of interpretation can meet the standards required to

be said to be true (Mustaqim, 2007). This is very important because the product of interpretation

is usually used to influence the lives of Muslims. Although the truth of interpretation is subjective

and relative depending on the point of view, and it is impossible to determine which is right and

which is wrong, a container is needed to be a measure that allows the truth to be said to be

objective and scientific even though it is difficult.

Abdul Mustaqim proposed three theories to determine the truth of interpretation:

coherence (the harmony of the internal relationship of the text between one proposition and

another), correspondence (the harmony of the interpreter's ideas with facts or scientific theories),

and pragmatism (empirically developing into solutions to social and humanitarian problems). So

far, the Mektubat book is more in line with the pragmatism theory with existing data explaining

that all money containing interest is haram, and all contracts leading to illegal acquisition are

haram. Imam Rabbani warned against equating interest consumption with situations of need,

stating that the person in need must be in a place where the law on the prohibition of interest is

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unclear. He emphasized that need is an essential condition and must be used as much as needed.

Although the Lahore scholars issued a fatwa on the basis of need, it is unclear how the concept

of need will be expanded, which could potentially affect the prohibition of usury.

Although the book Mektubat Rabbani is not entirely devoted to interpretation, the structure

of the discussion and the flow of the interpretation make it easy for readers to find the theme

they need. One of the advantages of this book is its short and to the point language, but still

explains long-term problems. Even the best human works are not without their shortcomings.

One of the most obvious shortcomings of this book is that it contains many discussions that are

not suitable for the layman. In addition, it is still written in Arabic and Turkish, and the use of

certain old vocabulary makes it difficult to interpret for those who are not familiar with these

letters and phrases. Although this is a disadvantage, it is also an advantage because the value of

authenticity is an important attribute, especially when it is disseminated to restore historical

traditions to the present generation.

4. Conclusion

In relation to the epistemology and validity of the interpretation of the Maktubat book by

Ahmad Sirhindi or better known as Imam Rabbani , based on the information above, it can be

concluded that there is an integration between the interpretation of bil ma'tsur (according to

history), which comes from the Qur'an and Hadith, and the interpretation of bil ra'yi (according

to dirayat), the interpretation found in the Maktubat book falls into the category of interpretation

of bil iqtirani, when viewed from its source. When viewed from the approach he uses, Ahmad

Sirhindi's interpretation, which uses many variables and aspects, can be classified as an isyari

interpretation. Furthermore, the shufi style is dominant in this interpretation, followed by

kalami, fiqhi, siyasi, and falsafi. As for the verses of the Qur'an, they have an important place

in the works of Imam Rabbani. In all his works, he refers to these verses literally, both literally

and implicitly. In fact, the fact that all his discussions center on submission to the Shari'a is

evidence of how much value he places on the Qur'an al-Karim as a source of Shari'a. The book

of Maktubat Imam Rabbani when based on the theory of pragmatism can be said to be valid

because it offers solutions to the problems and confusions of society such as the mixing of

money with usury, the secularization of religion and so on.

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