Interpreting Meaning Across Worlds: A Comparative Study of Al-Qushayri’s Sufi Hermeneutics and Peirce’s Semiotic Philosophy

This article explores the fascinating intersection among Sufi mysticism and semiotic theory through an exhaustive comparative study of the interpretive practices and approaches adopted by Al-Qushayri and Peirce. In an examination of their methods, it reveals how interpretation provides the foundation on which we build our knowledge on textual material and highlights its significance above all else when it comes to Arab-Islamic cultural traditions. The hermeneutic thought of Al-Qushayri, which aims to uncover deep spiritual meanings buried in texts, is set side by side with the semiotic approach to the world that understands language to be an active system of constantly evolving signs. In spite of differences in the theory that underpins them, both models enlighten us on the complex nature of interpretation and the many layers to meanings that are formed through interaction with texts. In conclusion, this work reflects on human beings' ongoing quest to make sense and suggests the possibility of integrating spirituality and semiotics together to shed greater insight on the deep richness that underlies human life and thus open the way towards deeper human understanding.