A Descriptive Semantic Study of Selected Examples from Al-Hujjah li al-Qurrāʾ al-Sabʿah by Abū ʿAlī al-Fārisī

Abstract

This study examines selected examples from Al-Hujjah li al-Qurrāʾ al-Sabʿah (The Argument for the Seven Readers) by Abū ʿAlī al-Fārisī through a descriptive-semantic approach. It aims to demonstrate the effect of variant Qur’anic readings on the interpretation of meaning and to identify the semantic implications resulting from differences among the various modes of recitation. The significance of the study stems from the prominent status of Al-Hujjah as one of the major works that brought together Qur’anic readings and the sciences of the Arabic language. Abū ʿAlī al-Fārisī devoted particular attention to explaining and justifying the variant readings and supporting them through Arabic usage as well as grammatical and morphological principles. The study adopts the descriptive-analytical method by selecting a number of examples from the book, describing the aspects of variation among them, and analyzing the semantic implications arising from these differences. The selected examples encompass phonological, morphological, and syntactic variation, with particular attention to the effect of each type on meaning and the Qur’anic context. The study concludes that variation in Qur’anic readings contributes to broadening semantic interpretation and enriching Qur’anic meaning. The diversity of recitational forms does not lead to contradiction; rather, it reveals complementary meanings that can be accommodated by the context. The study also demonstrates Abū ʿAlī al-Fārisī’s careful attention to the relationship between linguistic structure and meaning, as well as his reliance on the established principles of Arabic in explaining the Qur’anic readings. This confirms the scholarly and semantic value of Al-Hujjah li al-Qurrāʾ al-Sabʿah in examining the relationship between Qur’anic readings and meaning. The nature of the study required its division into an introduction and three main sections.