The Terms Supplementing Dr. Aisha Bint al-Shati’s Study of Nafiʿ ibn al-Azraq’s Questions: A Semantic Study

Abstract

This study examines the Qur’anic terms omitted from Dr. Aisha Abd al-Rahman Bint al-Shati’s book "The Rhetorical Miracle of the Qur’an and the Questions of Nafi‘ ibn al-Azraq". It traces their meanings in the Holy Qur’an and in early Arabic poetry. The study aims to clarify the linguistic and exegetical value of these terms, explore the consistency between their lexical meanings and their Qur’anic contextual usage, and benefit from the poetic evidence cited by Ibn Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, in response to Nafi‘ ibn al-Azraq’s questions. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach by consulting Arabic lexicons, works on Qur’anic uncommon vocabulary and meanings, and Qur’anic exegesis, while comparing the meaning of each term in the Qur’anic verse with its meaning in the poetic evidence. The study demonstrates that pre-Islamic poetry is a fundamental source for understanding uncommon Qur’anic vocabulary and that the diversity of linguistic and exegetical sources helps determine precise meanings and subtle semantic distinctions. It also emphasizes the importance of completing the study of the omitted terms in Nafi‘ ibn al-Azraq’s questions, given their scholarly contribution to Qur’anic, linguistic, and rhetorical studies and their demonstration of the richness of Arabic and its capacity to convey precise Qur’anic meanings. The study further highlights Ibn Abbas’s scholarly and persuasive use of transmitted linguistic evidence.