The symbolic Interpretation of the Days of Creation

Abstract

The notion of the days of creation, culminating in the hallowed seventh day, or Sabbath, is found in all three Abrahamic faiths. While some believers held to a literal understanding of these days, others insisted that the doctrine had profound esoteric import.  In the Islamic tradition, those who championed the role of intellect in understanding faith and scripture advocated the use of symbolic interpretation (taʾwīl).  The Arabic word taʾwīl means to cause something to return to its origin or source.  Among the most ardent advocates of symbolic interpretation were the Ismailis, one of the two major branches of Shīʿī Islam.  This article explores how Ḥakīm Nāṣir-i Khusraw, the famous Persian poet and Ismaili dignitary, understood the days of creation and their relationship to a hierarchy of religion (ḥudūd-i dīn) whose members led believers to ultimate salvation.