Document Type : Research Article
Author
Associate Professor, Interpretation Department, Qom University of Science and tradition, Qom, Iran
Abstract
Introduction
Statement of the Problem
The derivatives of the root word "malo" have been used 9 times in the Holy Quran. 7 of these words are used in relation to giving respite to sinners and delaying their punishment. If this word is considered together with other words that are in the same semantic field, it can be said that these words explain and clarify one of the most frequent concepts in the Holy Quran. This meaning is what Islamic scholars call the tradition of delay and recourse. Understanding the wonderful meanings of the Holy Quran and the subtleties that exist in the words and phrases of the All-Wise God has prompted scholars of various sciences to explain and clarify the concepts related to the tradition of delay and recourse, each within their own field of knowledge. However, despite the very valuable efforts that commentators and scholars of the science of words have made, it seems that there is no place for a systematic and documented research on the semantics of this word. This study aims to study the components of various words used in the Holy Quran for the tradition of granting a deadline. It should be explained on what basis the diversity of interpretations of the Holy Quran regarding the aforementioned tradition was based? What nuances do each of the various interpretations convey in their semantic components? In this study, the aforementioned question is examined with the focus on identifying some semantic nuances of the word "imla" in expressing the tradition of granting a deadline, and in the process, the meanings of other words in the tradition of granting a deadline are also examined and scrutinized to a considerable extent.
Necessity and importance
The Quran is an eternal book containing content that will be useful to humanity until the end of its life. Considering this point and some preliminary points, it is not necessary to discuss them in detail. It is necessary to acknowledge with all our conscience that in such a book, every single word has been used wisely and with care in the nuances of their meanings. This is something that the high capacity of expressions and words in the Arabic language has made possible to a considerable extent for its theologians. Therefore, when it is observed that God Almighty has used numerous words in conveying a general meaning such as the tradition of granting respite, which are associated with each other in a central content, the question arises as to what different meanings a wise theologian or, as some scholars put it, the chief of intellects, might have in mind in choosing various words? The question of these differences seems necessary and essential for a more accurate understanding of the Quranic teachings. This is something that has occupied the minds of scholars in the past regarding different meanings. In contemporary times, and given the significant progress in the field of semantics, it seems that the aforementioned can be pursued using the achievements of this field and a step forward can be taken to understand the meanings of the Quran and what God, the All-Wise, intended.
Research Method
In this article, first, brief points are made about the nature and goals of semantics, the position of conceptual relations in modern semantics, the definition of associative relations and their types in the Holy Quran, and the definition of substitutional relations. Then, in the main part of the research, explanations are given about the morphological structure and lexical meanings of the word "imlaa". Then, words that are placed in a verbal chain next to the word "imlaa" are discussed. In this regard, a number of these words that are useful in understanding the semantic components of the Quranic uses of "imlaa" are examined. The associative words that are discussed in this article are: خیر, أخذ, کید, ازدیاد, and یستیحزا. In the other part, words that can replace the word "imlaa" in a context are examined. In this section, the semantic components of words such as استدراج, امهال, تاجیل, and نزرة are examined. It should be noted that to examine the vocabulary of this semantic field, a central word is needed that is at the center of the semantic field. For this purpose, the word "spelling" has been chosen due to its greater and more prominent use.
Research Background
Regarding the verses in which the tradition of umlah and istidraj is stated, various forms have been written. Sometimes the theological perspective in these studies is colorful and sometimes the interpretive perspective. For example, in the article by Ruqayyah Yousefi, the verses related to the tradition of umlah and istidraj are examined to explain how the scheming is attributed to God Almighty. (See: Abdullahi, Tahirah, Yousefi, Ruqayyah, “How to Attribute Scheming to God Almighty,” Studies in Religious Studies, No. 8, Fall and Winter 99, pp. 0-21) The common point of all these writings is that a linguistic perspective is not seen to understand the meaning of the word umlah, which has been used more in these verses.
Results and Achievements
From the above points, the following results are obtained:
The word dictation is used in the Holy Quran in the sense of giving respite to the disbelievers. According to some philologists, the association of the concept of this word with the concept of the word أخذ strengthens the theory that in fact this word is used in the sense of setting free and releasing. In this case, the Quranic uses of this word are metaphorical.
By semantically analyzing words such as خیر, أخذ, کید, ازدیاد and استیحعة that are in the axis of substitution with the word dictation, a more precise explanation of the semantic components of the word dictation in the Holy Quran can be obtained.
From the association of the derivatives of the word dictation with the mentioned words, it is clear that the disbelievers are interested in this freedom arising from dictation, but this is by no means something that anyone really desires. The word "Kaid" indicates that this situation is specific to the rebellious infidels and those who have waged war against God. They have been caught in a conspiracy that is intended to destroy and annihilate them. The interpretation of "Lizdadua" and the use of a distinctive syntactic structure in the verse indicate that the reason for this respite is basically to increase their sins and in no way is there any talk of indifference or neglect, but rather divine punishment has been applied to their situation in this channel.
Also, the association of these words with the word "Istihaza" expresses this point. This divine method of dealing with the rebellious infidels is in fact an example of Istihaza, which is considered to be the agent of God Almighty in verses of the Holy Quran.
Examining the concepts contained in words such as "Istidraj", "Imhal" and "Anzar" is a guide in understanding the Quranic transcendence of the word "Imla". Attention to these words, which are in the axis of succession, provides key points in the semantics of the word "imlaa".
The word "imlaa" when attributed to God Almighty is a punishment from God towards the disbelievers. Contrary to the usages of the meaning of "imhal" which conveys a meaning of punishment or otherwise. In Quranic usages, the Holy Prophet of Islam has been asked to give them time and leave the punishment to God. Contrary to the usages of the meaning of "anzar" which in some cases there is an expectation of improvement in the situation and resolution of the problem, this is not the case in the meaning of "imlaa" and this attitude of God Almighty is a punishment that He inflicts on the disbelievers.
Quranic usages of "istidar" refer to the gradual fall of the disbelievers and "imlaa" shows and explains the manner of this gradual fall, which is to abandon them.
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