Linguistic and semantic aspects of the word "Raghab" in Holy Quran.
INTRODUCTIONPaying attention and discussion about linguistic and semantic aspects of Quran, proved its congruence and linkage with the relationship between audience and text. This congruence is in continuity of human beings relationship with reality which means the effect of psychological fact on his or her power of mobility over the years. Based on this, important factors will be evident in the human beings behavior and the God will speak with the worshiper. From this point of view, many religious and literary scholars consider the Quran to be a miracle. Quran is considered to be a miracle because of the harmony between its letters and words, the cohesion and coherence in phrases and a rich style and because its phrases and sentences are connected in a comprehensive way that each part is a complement for the others and lead to the intended result. The other point is that the meanings are in congruence with the words in a way that it seems the words have originally been written to represent these meanings [3]. Nowadays, what is evident in the discussions about Quran is looking to it as a literary text and this is in harmony with the oral miracle of Quran. In the other word, the new approaches toward analyzing the Quran look at functional and discourse analyses beside phonological, morphological, syntactic and semantic analyses [10]. Based on these new approaches, the present study tries to look at different aspects of semantic and morphological structures of Quran beside its word-finding aspects.
2. Statement of the problem:
As it has been emphasized many times and has been proved by historical evidence, Quran has such a rhythm and clarity that invokes the feelings of every listener, even when he or she doesn't know Arabic, as the words' clarity, accent, nasality, end's space and stops attract every foreign listener even when he or she doesn't know the meaning of the words. The rhythm of Quran gives it an indelible song and every word has a recitative style. Also, every phrase of it has an attractive speech style that reflects the meaning in a clear way and makes the whole text coherent [3].
Actually, the words in Quran are used meticulously and judiciously and often you have to read it several time to find out the meaning of text and its words comprehensively.
In spite of that, there is an important point here that needs consideration. There are different approaches in in word-finding in Quran and Mostanser Mir argues that:
"The language of Quran is clear and illustrative and metaphor and allegory are frequently used in it. Quran language is both similar to and different from the Arabic language before Islam. Quran words, although clear and illustrative for those who know Arabic, are limited in their depth and breadth. The number of Arabic words' roots in Quran are less than two thousand and so it make the text understanding much easier for the reader. Also, the reader can easily distinguish Quran language from the language of poets and orators. Quran used common words with unique meanings, invented specific idioms and then has put them in the context of positive worldview with complex and complicates relationships. The network effect of this process, has made a coherent design of religious thought and mature Arabic plays the role of the entrance gate for this design. In this way, Quran language with its prominent style, is the tool for expressing philosophical, religious and cultural thoughts that was presented as a gift to the people in the beginning of Islam [10].
It is not possible to explore Quranic words and interpretations in a short time or in new few articles and this needs an exhaustive discussion. However, exploring Quranic words and roots- separately- can show different aspects of Quran word-finding, multifaceted style that are appropriate as God's words. In this paper, the author tries to explore various semantic and linguistic facets of the word "Raghab" in Quran and shows the delicate process of word-finding in it by researching early and late sources and different words dictionaries.
3. Purpose of the research:
The main purpose of this research is to explore various semantic and linguistics facets of word "Raghab" and Quran's text and context. This way, the author tries to pay attention to verbal and spritual cohesion and coherence of Quranic verses and Surah.
4. Review of literature:
Based on the authors' liberary research, there is no article specifically exploring the semantic and linguistic features of word "Raghab" in Quran. In interpretive texts, different word dictionaries and different sources you can find brief descriptions about this word and its derivations. When necessary, the author has used these descriptions and quoted their sources.
5. The relationship between semantic and linguistic fields and holy Quran:
As the Quran is considered to be a holy text, we cannot speak about it like the other ordinary texts or put it under semantic and linguistic analysis. On the other hand, as the Quran is a really valuable linguistic text and a very important literary book, it is necessary to analyze and evaluate its semantic and linguistic features with consciousness about its holiness.
Arabic language is well known for its morphological derivations, and this feature makes it rich of useful vocabularies. Morphological implications in Arabic are determined from within its rhythm and are opposite to the languages that need prefix and suffix for new implications. Effective choice of vocabularies and their fitness is among the main factors of this style. This is a stylistic approach in Quran that aims at lining up the phrases. It should be considered that changes in semantic structure of sentences lead to stylistics transformations.
In Quran, Theological teachings are incorporated by literary styles and this happens because Quran wants to teach religion and guide people by the help of literary and stylistic language and uses its semantic and linguistic features to do that. So, when researchers such as "Mostanser Mir" and " Hossein Abdoulrauf" consider Quran as a literary text, they don't want to say that Quran is just a literary text and doesn't have other aspects such as religion, ethics, Jurisprudence, social features. It is clear that Quran has considered all the aspects of people's earthly and heavenly life and the orders and commands are sent for all the people of the world not a specific group. Actually, we the researchers speak about Quran as a literary text, they mean a coherent text that all its phrases and verses and surah are connected together logically.
Quran words with their pitch and nasality and their rhythm brings about a specific eloquence, and therefore there is compatibility between the rhythms and the sound that God has chosen for the words are the best choice based on their superiority [3].
Some of rhetoric scholars_ at the top "Abdoulghahar Jorjani" (dead 471)_ believed that letters and words will not have great effects on the rhetoric, but all factors that are involved in the system or writing are effective. And also the systemic approach is not the only factor but the compatibility between meaning and words are also important. In the words of Jorjani, compatibility of the words mean there is no separation in the meaning and rhythm of words and the rhythms are interlocking and the meanings are facile and are related to each other with a unite system in a way that every word is so related to the other words that if we want to put a synonym there, the whole text will be incoherent [3].
On the other side, there was another group of scholars _ "Amro Ebn Bahro Aljaez"_ who believed that words and letters have eloquence. Therefore the following poetry which has been written in praising "Harb ebn Omiyeh", form "Jaez" doesn't have eloquence as the words and letters has been repeated:
[TEXT NOT REPRODUCIBLE IN ASCII] (Jorjani, 992: 57).
We should be careful that Quran phrases follow the precise Quranic stylistic and many of stylistics scholars believe that each phrase in Quran has independent meaning and is connected to the other meanings in a complicated network [3].
In the book, "Al-Shafa be Tairif Al-Mostafa" the authors speak about the systems and styles of Quranic words and phrases as follow:
"The second facet of the miracle of Quran is its wonderful system and style that is different from other systems and styles in the Arabic language. The system is an exception and no one can bring something like it and it make the orators wonder as they are not able to bring a poetry or text like it".
6. Raghab In Quran:
In Quran, you can find 7 derivations of Raghab that are used in 8 verses [9].
1. And who forsaketh the religion of Abraham save him who befooleth himself? Verily we chose him in the world, and lo! in the Hereafter he is among the righteous (Cow, 130)
2. And they ask you a decision about women. Say: Allah makes known to you His decision concerning them, and that which is recited to you in the Book concerning female orphans whom you do not give what is appointed for them while you desire to marry them, and concerning the weak among children, and that you should deal towards orphans with equity; and whatever good you do, Allah surely knows it (Women, 127)
3. (How much more seemly) had they been content with that which Allah and His messenger had given them and had said: Allah sufficeth us. Allah will give us of His bounty, and (also) His messenger. Unto Allah we are suppliants (Repentance, 59)
3.2. Maybe, our Lord will give us instead one better than it; surely to our Lord do we make our humble petition (Alghalam, 32).
4. So We responded to him and gave him Yahya made his wife fit for him; surely they used to hasten, one with another In deeds of goodness to call upon Us, hoping and fearing and they were humble before Us (Prophets, 90)
5. It did not beseem the people of Medina and those round about them of the dwellers of the desert to remain behind the Apostle of Allah, nor should they desire (anything) for themselves in preference to him; this is because there afflicts them not thirst or fatigue or hunger in Allah's way, nor do they tread a path which enrages the unbelievers, nor do they attain from the enemy what they attain, but a good work is written down to them on account of it; surely Allah does not waste the reward of the doers of good (Repentance, 120).6. He said: Do you dislike my gods, O Ibrahim? If you do not desist I will certainly revile you, and leave me for a time (Maryam, 46).
7. And make your Lord your exclusive object (Alsharh, 8)
In the following table you can see the different features of derivations of Raghab in Quran.
In the name of God:
Rows--Verse--Text--Stem:--Translation by Kohan-vajeh--Place of revelation: Mecca or MedinaSyntactic Role
1) AL- BAQARA (The Cow)/130--And who forsakes the religion of Ibrahim = forsakes Rejected/Returned/Rejects --Medina--Present verb with an agentive role whose subject is deleted
2) AN-NISA (WOMEN)/127--and yet desire to marry them, and the abased children, ... --= you desire Want/Desire/Yearn --Medina--Past agentive verb
3) AL-TAWBA, BARA'AH (REPENTANCE)/59--to Allah do we turn our hopes -= Willing ones Hope/Want/Willing people--Medina--Gives information after the word
4) AL-TAWBA, BARA'AH (REPENTANCE)/120--nor to prefer their own lives to his = do not prefer they do not want/you do not want/they do not return--Medina--Present agentive verb
5) AL-ANBIYA (THE PROPHETS)/90--called on us out of yearning and awe -= willingly Hope/Want/Willing --Mecca--Present adverb
6) MARYAM (MARY)/46--he said: do you dislike my gods--= hateful--Turned back/Unwilling/You do not want and you leave--Mecca--Adjective
7) AL-QALAM (THE PEN)/32--to our lord we humbly turn = willing ones--We hope/We took shelter/Turning ones--Medina--Adjective
8) AL-INSHIRAH (SOLACE)/8--and to thy lord turn (all) thy attention = Turn--Be hopeful/Become willing/Please(beg)--Mecca--Imperative verb
8. Examine Raghab in Quran:
Raghab is a word in Quran that its root means kind of kindness. As it has been said this word has 7 derivations in 8 verses of Quran [9]. From the semantic perspective, Raghab means "inclination and desire for something" [11], " wants and dreams, desire and greed, demand and favorable act, being interesting and attractive" and " jealousy and greed for something, demand and greed, favorable act, a lot of interest and greed for something" (Ala Alsaleh and Sheikh Alsalman, 1401: 207).
" Ragheb Esfehani" defines Raghab as intensity of will and desire and greed for something. He pointed to the 59 verse of Repentance Surah and 90 verse of Prophets Surah claims that when it is said "Raghab Fih" and "Raghab elayh", it means a person is badly willing to do something and has extreme greed for that.
In Raghab, "R" stands for fluency and repetition, "GH" stands for correlation between materials and kindness and "B" stands for a smooth interrelationship. Therefore, the combination of letters means acceptance of that gap or inclusion of many things that are good and nice such as food or drinking [6].
The main meaning of Raghab is acceptance of a kind and nice thing in large numbers as we do in inflection of many foods and drinking such as: he ate a lot, he spends a lot, he is greedy, he demanded for something and he mourn and humiliate someone and pray for him [6].
As the early semanticists claimed, Raghab means " much likeness and greed and inclination for something" and its considered to be one of the levels of kindness [2].
The main point that should be considered is that if Raghab is used with " An" as to verses of "Maryam 46" and "cow 130" show the meaning will be avoidance and shirk.
From grammatical perspective, in 127 verse of women Surah, we can consider an appropriate proposition like "Targhabon fie" and "Targhabon an".
And it is arguable that the future form of Raghab _Yarghab_ has been used in three places:
1. Avoidance like in the cow Surah, verse 130
2. consider himself more important, Repentance Surah, verse 120
3. Likeness like in the Women surah, verse 127 (Mokhtar Omar, 1423, 210)
From religious perspective, Reghbat is the likeness to obtain something as it is clear in verse 90 of Prophets Surah where the believers are described as those who eagerly pray their God. But it should be considered that if Reghbat is the great likeness for material world, it is not acceptable from Quran perspective (Amer Abdoulah, 1417: 195).
Beside above semantic and linguistic fields being shown in early and late texts, in interpretive texts "Ra Gha B" has great significance. In Rozol Aljanan interpretation, for the 130 verse of Cow Surah it is written that: Raghan An and Raghab Fieh are opposites. In Makhzan Al-erfan interpretation, the author claim that Raghab has to opposite meanings one meaning likeness and the other meaning avoidance [4]. In the interpretation of verse 39 of Maryam Surah, it is written that: " When Raghab is used with An it means avoidance and when it is used with Ely it means likeness".
In Almizan interpretation, Tabatabayii claim the similar things. In interpretation of verse 32 of Surah AlQalam, " Mola Fatolah Kashani" paraphrase Raghab: " Ragheb means we want his pardon and benefaction and we want to obey him or her [13].
RESULT AND DISCUSSION
Quran is a great source for Muslims that always inspired them over the century. The discourse and linguistic structure of Quran has great cohesion and coherence and Muslims class it a miracle. Therefore, it is very important to investigate its semantic and linguistic features.
In the present study, the authored tried to examine word "Raghab" from semantic and linguistic perspective. The result showed that the above word has seven derivations in eight Surah of Quran. The semantic meaning of Raghab is "great likeness and greed for something". The important point is that Raghab has opposite meanings as when it is used with "An" means avoidance and when it is used with "Ala" or "Fi", it means likeness.
In Quran, in 6 verses Raghab means likeness and in two verses it means avoidance (Maryam 46 and Cow 130).
From religious perspective, Raghab mean to obtain something that you like and refers to believers who seek the God. Believers are those who search and want their God eagerly and with great likeness.
ARTICLE INFO
Article history:
Received 11 June 2014 Received in revised form 21 September 2014
Accepted 25 November 2014 Available online 29 December 2014
Keywords:
REFERENCES
[1] Quran. Translated by Naser Makarem Shirazi
[2] Enb Talal Hashemi. Love in Quran. Jordan. Maktab Alvatanieh publication, .3
[3] Abohamze, Mohamad, 1379. The Great Miracle, search in Quran science. Mashhad. Bonyad Pajoheshi publication, 2.
[4] Banoy Amin Esfehani, 1361. Interpretation of Makhzan Al Erfan in Quran.volume 10. Tehran, Behzate zanan Mosalman publication
[5] Aljoijani Alnahvi, Abdilghader ebn abdolrahman Ebn Mohamad, 1992. The reasons of miracle in semantics.
[6] Hassan Jabal, Mohamad hassan, 2010. Almajam Eshteghaghi alfaz Quran. Cairo: Maktab Aladab publication
[7] Alragheb Alesfahani, Abolghasem seyed Mohamad. Almofradat Fi gharib alghoran. Lebanon. Dar Almaaref publication, 4.
[8] Mohamad Rohi, Mohamad Taghi Fayaz Bakhsh, interpretation of Quran words in Albayan and Almizan. Tehran. Ehyaye Ketab publication
[9] Mostafa Albadr, Rafd, 1391. Words of Quran. Qom. Zoghol Ghorba publications
[10] Mir, Mustansir, 2006. "The Quran", Ed. Andrew Rippin, Malden, USA: Blackwell Publishing, Chap. 6 (Language).
[11] Maliof, Lewis, 1380. Tarjoma Monjad fi loghat. Translated by mostafa Rahiminia. Volume 2. Tehran: Saba publication
[12] Mokhtar Omar Ahmad, 1423. Almajam Almosa Alfaz Quran. Riyadh. Sotor Almarefa publication
[13] Kashani, Mola Fatollah, 1344. great interpretation of Moonhaj Alsadeghin, volume 10, Tehran. Eslamiye publication, 2.
[14] Albdolraof, Hossein, 1390. Stylistic of Quran. Translated by parviz Azadi. Tehran: Emam sadegh university publication.
(1) Dr. Mohammed Saleh Sharif Askari, (2) Mehdi shafai
(1) Associate Professor of Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
(2) PhD student of Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran.
Corresponding Author: Mehdi Shafai, PhD student of Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Humanities, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran E-mail: [email protected]
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| Author: | Askari, Mohammed Saleh Sharif; Shafai, Mehdi |
|---|---|
| Publication: | Advances in Environmental Biology |
| Article Type: | Report |
| Geographic Code: | 7IRAN |
| Date: | Nov 15, 2014 |
| Words: | 3045 |
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