How Hazar Imam Teaches the Esoteric Interpretation (Ta'wil) of the Holy Qur'an
Six ways through which the Living Imam teaches esoteric wisdom to the Jamat
“You see, my mission is situated on three levels. Firstly, religious: it concerns a symbolic exegesis of the Qur’an: interpreting the Divine Word, the adapting the needs of each community to the time; refashioning the law, constantly and relentlessly. Wherever one finds an Ismaili community, there exists a commission of theologians that engages in this research. But nothing is decided without me…. Our religion is esoteric, you understand. It is a perpetual initiation.”
The Ismaili Muslim tradition—today known as the Shia Imami Ismaili Tariqah of Islam—has historically been known for its emphasis on the esoteric (batin) dimension of Islam. The early Shi‘i Imams taught that the Holy Qur’an and the practices of Islam contain multiple layers of meaning: the exoteric (zahir), which is apparent and accessible to all, and the esoteric (batin), which is hidden and accessible only to those who possess the insight and spiritual understanding to perceive it.