Examining the Arabic Nature of the Qur’anic Text from al-Shafi‘i’s Perspective

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Shafi’i Jurisprudence and Law, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Director of Imam Shafi‘i Specialized Center for Islamic Sciences, Sanandaj, Iran

3 3. Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic History, Faculty of Quran and Hadith, Sanandaj Branch, International University of Islamic Denominations, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

Objective: The Holy Qur’an, as the most prominent heavenly book, has always been the subject of extensive research in linguistic, exegetical, and theological fields. One of the important issues in Qur’anic studies is the reason for the revelation of the Qur’an in Arabic and its relationship with the question of challenge and inimitability. Focusing on al-Shafi‘i’s view, the present study examines the concept of the Arabic nature of the Qur’an and the role of the Arabic language in the correct understanding of Qur’anic verses and the deduction of legal rulings.
Methodology: This study was conducted using a descriptive-analytical method and is based on an examination of al-Shafi‘i’s views on the language of the Qur’an, the nature of Qur’anic words, and the position of the Arabic language in interpretation and legal deduction. Accordingly, al-Shafi‘i’s views on the comprehensiveness of the Qur’an, the clarity of Qur’anic expression, and the necessity of understanding the rules and styles of the Arabic language have been analyzed.
Results: The findings of the study indicate that, from al-Shafi‘i’s perspective, the Holy Qur’an is divine speech and possesses comprehensiveness and inclusiveness. Therefore, it had to be expressed to the Arab people in the clearest possible manner so that no ambiguity would remain in understanding it. According to this view, no non-Arabic word has been used in the Qur’an, and the correct understanding of Qur’anic concepts is possible only through precise familiarity with the Arabic language, its vocabulary, styles, and rhetorical modes of expression. In this perspective, the Arabic nature of the Qur’an means that it was revealed in Arabic words accompanied by clarity and explicitness of meaning.
Conclusion: The results of the study show that, in al-Shafi‘i’s thought, the Arabic language is not merely a means of conveying Qur’anic concepts, but also the main foundation for understanding, interpreting, and deriving legal rulings from the divine verses. Since the Qur’an was revealed according to the rules and principles of the Arabic language and follows the methods and style of this language in expressing and communicating its meanings, every exegetical or jurisprudential interpretation of the Qur’an must be based on knowledge of the structures, rules, and semantic capacities of the Arabic language.

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History

  • Receive Date: 29 September 2024
  • Revise Date: 11 June 2025
  • Accept Date: 28 June 2025

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