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A Comparative Study of the Methodology of ʿIlm al-Kalimah and ʿIlm al-Lisān in the Field of Textual Understanding
(Based on the Theory of Rūḥ al-Maʿānī)
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Mansoureh Doagoo   |
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Abstract: (13 Views) |
| In Arabic scholarship, the term ʿIlm al-Lisān is widely regarded as equivalent to linguistics. This discipline primarily focuses on the material aspect of language—the lisān—which deals with verbal forms and instruments of expression. While such an approach is effective for analyzing linguistic structures, it does not reveal the full reality of a kalimah (word), as it neglects its immaterial and inner dimensions. Within the frameworks of ḥikmat al-mutaʿāliyah (Transcendent Philosophy) and the Qur’an, a kalimah possesses a “spirit of meaning” (rūḥ al-maʿnā) that originates in higher intellectual and divine realms and extends through imaginal and material levels. The absence of an integrated approach encompassing these dimensions has created a theoretical gap in linguistic studies. Using a descriptive–analytical method within the framework of Transcendent Philosophy, this study explores the conceptual foundations of kalimah and lisān in Qur’anic and philosophical sources, classifying the three levels of the word—material, imaginal, and intellectual—based on the theory of Rūḥ al-Maʿānī. The findings indicate that ʿIlm al-Kalimah, unlike mainstream linguistics that proceeds from word to meaning, begins its interpretive movement from the divine and intellectual meaning (rūḥ al-maʿānī) and descends toward the lower levels, including the external verbal form. This approach, while acknowledging the significance of linguistic expression, elucidates the vertical continuity between the material and immaterial dimensions of language. Consequently, it offers a framework that safeguards sacred texts—particularly the Qur’an—from interpretive distortions rooted in subjective or historical presuppositions, providing a foundation for reconstructing Qur’anic concepts and developing meaning-centered theories in the human sciences. |
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| Keywords: ʿIlm al-Lisān, ʿIlm al-Kalimah, Ḥikmat al-Mutaʿāliyah, Qur’anic Text, Rūḥ al-Maʿānī. |
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Full-Text [PDF 502 kb]
(8 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/11/15 | Accepted: 2025/11/15 | Published: 2025/11/15
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