Hermeneutic’s Ibn Arabi: Alternatives in Understanding the Text for Islamic Moderation in Post Pandemic Era

Abstract

The tendency to textually understand religious texts gives raise the phenomenon of radicalism. According to Ibn Arabi's classical thought, to find a common thread in understanding religious texts a spiritual approach is more needed than a zahir (textual) approach. The spiritual approach tends to give a new understanding to comprehend religious texts that are inclusive and universal. The mental approach initiated by Ibn Arabi is called the ta'wil approach and in philosophy, it is called hermeneutics. The characteristics of Ibn al-Arabi's knowledge paradigm can be seen from his hermeneutic method which originates from the power of imagination, the use of symbols in understanding texts, as well as the epistemology and sources of knowledge. The characteristics of Ibn al-'Arabi's knowledge will make an epistemological contribution in understanding the text of the Quran and hadith