Word-Meaning Relationship in the Qur’anic Context:

The word-meaning relationship is not a permanent relationship in any language of the world. It is natural that words of all languages tend to change their meanings and nuances with the passage of time. In linguistics, the experts of structuralism claim that: “The form is permanent and the content moves”, which means that though the words of all languages remain the same but they keep on changing their meanings and nuances. The change in the import or meaning of a word, due to the passage of time or some other socio-cultural factors, is called Semantic Extension. The Holy Qur’an seems to have broken this natural phenomenon, which occurs in all languages, by making word-meaning relationship permanent----of those words that have been employed in various contexts of the Qur’an. The Qur’anic vocabulary has not changed its meanings during the last fourteen and a half centuries erasing the need of a revised version of the Qur’an.

In the context of languages, as said earlier, the claim of linguists is that “The Form is permanent and the Content moves”. On the contrary, the relationship between the Form (words) and the Content (meanings) of the Qur’anic vocabulary has not changed, against the natural phenomenon. Therefore, it seems that the Holy Qur’an has broken this natural law, as its vocabulary has not changed its meanings during the last millennium and a half. Therefore, it is justified to claim that: The Holy Qur’an is a Continuous Miracle (mu‘jiza) of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.

In religious scheme of Islam anything done/ executed/ performed by the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, against the natural laws, is called a Mu’jizah (Miracle); and the above is a new dimension of the Holy Qur’an as being a miracle which was not attended to by the linguists before. Certainly, the wonders of the Qur’an will never come to an end, as proclaimed by the Prophet, peace be upon him. Please see: Al-Tirmidhi: Chapter, Fadl al-Qur’an, p. 143. 

This phenomenon can be better understood if we take in consideration the process of Linguistic Citation (الإستشهاد اللغوى) in languages. For example, I read a line from Punjabi/Saraiki poetry:

  Ø¹ :  Ø³Ø§Ù†ÙˆÙ„ موڑ مھار ÙˆÛ’  (O Sanwal! For God’s sake come back home again). Who is Sanwal? Whom Khawaja Farid of Kot Mithan (Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan) has this longing for? Is he a political leader in self-exile or one of the dignitaries who has access to the so-called power centers? In order to understand “Sanwal” we shall go to the literature in which this word has been employed. After going through the poetry of Khawaja Farid we shall find that “Sanwal” means “beloved”. Now it is clear that the meanings and nuances of a word are determined in the light of its usages in the literature of that language.

Like all other languages of the world, many words of the most popular language of the Sub-Continent: Urdu have also changed their meanings during the last two hundred years. For example, the word “mehtar” and “jama‘dar” were used previously for exalted prestigious civil positions and now they are employed to mean a ‘sweeper’. In the same way, words like “randi” and “kanjar” had no notorious and negative connotations previously, whereas they now convey negative and derogatory meanings. Previously the word “kanjar” was used for a wandering person who leads an unsettled life. (Please see for details: Bagh o Bahar by Mir Aman Dehlawi and Diwan of Mir Taqi Mir respectively). The famous Urdu poet Mir Taqi Mir d. 1810 A.D. has employed the above word about himself in a verse to mean a “wanderer” or a “homeless”, and says:

ع......... میر جی اس طرح سے آتےھیں  .   Ø¬ÛŒØ³Û’ کنجر کھیں Ú©Ùˆ جاتے ھیں

In this verse Mir, describing destruction of his house, names himself a kanjar (homeless and a wanderer) who is visiting a place as if not known to him before. (Please see: Mathnawi dar hajw-e-khana-e-khud (Defamatory poem about my home), Intikhab-e-Mir by Nasir Kazmi, p. 491). The most interesting position was taken by the Urdu word “Budhdhu” which was used for a ‘wise man’ previously and now it means a ‘naïve’. (Please see for details: Farhang e Asafiyyah). This semantic change is a natural phenomenon, and it occurs in all world languages.

In addition to the Qur’anic characteristic that the Holy Qur’an is the only revealed scripture, among 315 revealed scriptures and books, which is extant without any adulteration as it was revealed unto the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him; the most significant attribute of the Qur’anic diction is that it employs words at their most appropriate and pragmatic places. In the Qur’anic contexts, we do not find any uncommon words that can be difficult to pronounce. Moreover, the Holy Book has used every word at its appropriate place. The Holy Qur’an is not a poetry nor is a prose; but it is a Saja’ ( Ø³ÙŽØ¬ÙŽØ¹Ù’ ) which is inimitable. Allah says:

"وَمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ الشِّعْرَ وَمَا يَنبَغِي لَهُ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌ وَقُرْآنٌ مُّبِينٌ" (We did not teach him (Muhammad) poetry, nor is it proper for him. It is only a reminder, and a Clear Qur’an). Surah: 36, Verse: 69.

A short and a comprehensive work on stylistic and thematic beauties of the Qur’an is: Al-Mushaf al-Murattal Ø§Ù„مُصْحَفْ المُرَتّلْ)) by Labib Sa‘id. This wonderful work of Labib Sa’id, was translated into English language under the title: The Recited Koran, by Bernard Weiss, M. A. Rauf, and Morroe Berger and published from Princeton by the Darwin Press in 1975.

The Holy Qur’an has been the basic source to determine the meanings of the words and phrases of the Arabic language employed therein. And since, the word-meaning relationship is a permanent relationship in the context of the Qur’an, is another distinctive feature of this eternal book and the Arabic language. I explain it further with an example: If, the most celebrated author of the English language, Geoffrey Chaucer (1342-1399 CE) comes to London today and dwells in Piccadilly; no one will understand him except some professors of the classical literature. On the contrary, suppose if the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, (570-632 CE) comes in any city of the Arab world, he, peace be upon him, will understand the local Arabs and the inhabitants of the Arabian lands will understand him fully.

This Qur’anic peculiarity can also be better understood with an example: The Canon Version of the Holy Bible “King James Version” every time it was published with the caption: â€œRevised Standard Version” because the vocabulary employed in the previous version had changed its meaning. The editors of the Revised Standard Version of The Holy Bible, published in 1952 by Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, after having given a glossary and a detailed list of the words they have changed their meanings, say in the preface: “There are more than three hundred such English words which are used in the King James Version in a sense substantially different from that which they now convey”. (Please see for details: Preface pp. ix-xi; and also: King James Versions published in 1611, 1881-85, 1901 C.E).

On the contrary, the Holy Qur’an during the last 1450 years has remained the same and its vocabulary has not changed its meanings; therefore, no revised version has ever been published. 

It is also interesting to note that ancient languages, like Latin, Sanskrit, Greek, etc., became extinct because they were not supported by a book like al-Qur’an al-Karim. It is the Holy Qur’an due to which the Arabic language has been a living language for the last 1450 years and it will never perish as the Qur’an will be there till the day of resurrection (qiyamah). It is, therefore, said in the Arabic language:

" لَوْ لَا القُرآنُ، لَمَا كَانَتِ الْعَرَبِيّةُ " (Had there been no Qur'an there would have been no Arabic language). Allah says about the people of wisdom and insight:

 "يُؤْتِى ٱلْحِكْمَةَ Ù…ÙŽÙ† يَشَآءُ Ûš ÙˆÙŽÙ…ÙŽÙ† يُؤْتَ ٱلْحِكْمَةَ فَقَدْ أُوتِىَ خَيْرًا كَثِيرًا Û— وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُو۟لُوا۟ ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ" (He (Allah) grants wisdom to whom He pleases. Whoever is given wisdom has been given a great wealth. But none will grasp the Message except men of understanding). Surah 2: Verse 269.