9
edits
Huruf Muqatta'at (Disjointed Letters in the Qur'an): Difference between revisions
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
m
Huruf Muqatta'at (Disjointed Letters in the Qur'an) (view source)
Revision as of 11:36, 9 May 2021
, 9 May 2021→Context: grammar
| [checked revision] | [checked revision] |
m (→Context: grammar) |
|||
| (4 intermediate revisions by 2 users not shown) | |||
| Line 21: | Line 21: | ||
[[Image:Qur'anic initial letters en.PNG|right|frame|A [[w:tree diagram | tree diagram]] of the Qur'anic initial letters, labeled with the respective numbers of occurrences. To be read right to left.]] | [[Image:Qur'anic initial letters en.PNG|right|frame|A [[w:tree diagram | tree diagram]] of the Qur'anic initial letters, labeled with the respective numbers of occurrences. To be read right to left.]] | ||
Certain co-occurrence restrictions are observable in these letters; for instance, ''alif'' is invariably followed by ''lam''. The substantial majority of the combinations begin either ''alif lām'' or ''hā mim''. See the diagram for fuller information. | Certain co-occurrence restrictions are observable in these letters; for instance, ''alif'' is invariably followed by ''lam''. The substantial majority of the combinations begin with either ''alif lām'' or ''hā mim''. See the diagram for fuller information. | ||
In all but 3 of the 29 cases, these letters are almost immediately followed by mention of the Qur'anic [[revelation]] itself (the exceptions are [[surah]]s 29, 30, and 68); and some argue that even these three cases should be included, since mention of the revelation is made later on in the surah. More specifically, one may note that in 8 cases the following verse begins "These are the signs...", and in another 5 it begins "The Revelation..."; another 3 begin "By the Qur'an...", and another 2 "By the Book..." Additionally, all but 3 of these surahs are Makkan surahs (the exceptions are surahs 2, 3, 13.) | In all but 3 of the 29 cases, these letters are almost immediately followed by mention of the Qur'anic [[revelation]] itself (the exceptions are [[surah]]s 29, 30, and 68); and some argue that even these three cases should be included, since mention of the revelation is made later on in the surah. More specifically, one may note that in 8 cases the following verse begins "These are the signs...", and in another 5 it begins "The Revelation..."; another 3 begin "By the Qur'an...", and another 2 "By the Book..." Additionally, all but 3 of these surahs are Makkan surahs (the exceptions are surahs 2, 3, 13.) | ||
| Line 43: | Line 43: | ||
===Possible, non-dogmatic perspective=== | ===Possible, non-dogmatic perspective=== | ||
The classical Muslim scholars considered the text of the Qur'an to be unchanged. Thus, they do not consider that the muqattā'at may [[ | The classical Muslim scholars considered the text of the Qur'an to be unchanged. Thus, they do not consider that the muqattā'at may [[Textual History of the Qur'an|possibly have been added after the prophets lifetime]], accounting for the general absence of narrations where companions inquire regarding the meaning of these letters (where mention of the letter does appear, it is usually a companion discussing a surah that begins with these letters, rather than asking about the letters themselves. Critical scholars have suggested, however, that the reference to these surahs by their muqatta'at letters is likely not reflective of conversations that actually took place during the prophet's life time, but was something introduced to these narrations many decades and multiple centuries after the prophet's death. Even the versions of the narrations recorded in the hadith books seem to dis-include these letters at times.) | ||
This possibility is, however, not without its difficulties, and is elaborated later in this article. | This possibility is, however, not without its difficulties, and is elaborated later in this article. | ||
| Line 148: | Line 148: | ||
[[Category:Arabic]] | [[Category:Arabic]] | ||
[[Category: | [[Category:Qur'an]] | ||
[[Category:Qur'anic textual history]] | |||
[[Category:Revelation]] | |||