al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, When Ibn ‘Aashoor (d. 1973/1393) wrote his tafseer on the Qur’an, which he called Tafsir al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir, he followed a number of basic principles in his methodology, particularly when it came to the linguistic exegesis, with which his tafseer is replete. These principles are generally based on the semantic connotations […]
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, To look back to the original meaning of a word is to embark on more than just a linguistic voyage; in some cases, tracing a word back to its original meaning is actually the key to unlocking one of the treasures of the guidance of the Qur’an. For example, Allaah said
The story’s secret. Read More »
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, There are certain noun forms in Arabic known as siyagh al-mubaalaghah (‘forms of intensification/hyperbolic forms’) that are used to put across a more intense meaning than the original noun form. For example, a liar ‘kaadhib’ كاذب may also be known as a kadhoob كذوب or a kadhdhaab كذّاب – all carrying
Dealing with extremities. Read More »
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, There are some commentaries on the Qur’an (tafseers) which have a strong linguistic element, and within such commentaries one may sometimes find that the different types of ishtiqaaq have been used to offer a depth of meaning and insight that would not ordinarily be understood had reference to the ishtiqaaq not
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, Many people who have set about to memorise the Qur’an, or portions of the Qur’an, will at some point have become confused when they come to a verse they have learnt elsewhere in the Qur’an, but with a slight change in wording or order. The key to overcoming this confusion, more
Best seen in context. Read More »
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, A common phenomenon known to linguists is that of semantic shift, whereby a word acquires new shades of meaning over time. This phenomenon is also noticeable when we take a look at Islamic terminology, such as zakat, or Shari’ah, or the Names and Attributes of Allah, or words related to the
Discover your roots. Read More »
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, One aspect of the miraculousness of the Qur’anic language lies in the precision of its words. As al-Suyuti said in al-Itqaan fee ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan, “It is possible to convey a single meaning with a variety of words, some more expressive than others. Likewise for the two parts – subject and predicate
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, There is a category of words in Arabic known as al-ad`daad الأضداد. They are a type of ishtiraak in which a single word shares different shades of meaning, but what is special about the ad`daad is that the same word is applied to two completely opposite meanings. For example, the word
Two ends of the same stick. Read More »
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, As seen previously, the Arabic language is very precise in its lexical references owing to its rich vocabulary. Often a single concept may be taken – such as love, infancy, bravery etc – and different words found corresponding to the subtle differences in the degrees of that concept. And perhaps this
Kitty, Kitty, sleep sleep sleep. Read More »
al-Salāmu ‘alaykum wa rahmatullāh, There is a rhetorical device in Arabic known as al-istikhbaar الاستخبار, which literally means ‘to seek information’; in practical form, it is to ask a question and seek to know the answer. Yet there is a fine line between the essence istikhbaar and the clothes of the interrogative (al-istifhaam –
Not all questions require an answer. Read More »
