Contribution of Iranians regarding the language and eloquence of the Qur’an

Iran throughout Islamic history has been a scientific beacon and a cultural center that established Islamic sciences, including what is related to the Qur’an. This article deals with the efforts Iranians had regarding the language and eloquence of the Qur’an.

Eloquence literally means appearance, expression, and manifestation , and terminologically it is a pleasing, fluent statement that enjoys goodness and beauty whose words, in addition to eloquence, are in perfect harmony with each other.

The Qur'an is a miracle in many ways. One of the miraculous aspects of the Qur'an is its eloquence and rhetoric. In terms of eloquence and rhetoric, it has reached its perfection. The eloquence of the verses of the Quran is so astonishing that it amazed all poets, orators, and writers with its great power, and they were forced to admit their inability to challenge the Qur'an.

Here some of the most prominent of their writings in the early time, as well as contemporary era, will be mentioned:

Dalail Al-I’Jaz wa Asrar al-Balaghah wa Al-Risalah Al-Shafiyah

Dalail Al-I’Jaz wa Asrar al-Balaghah wa Al-Risalah Al-Shafiyah (دلائل الاعجاز و اسرار البلاغة و الرسالة الشافیة) are three books by Abu Bakr Abd al-Qaher ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Jurjani (400-471 AH). He was from the Iranian city of Gorgan (Jurjan) and he is one of the two about whom it was said: The Qur’an was only understood by two people, one of them in Zamakhshar, and the other in Gorgan. According to all historians, he is considered the founder of the science of rhetoric.

Mufradat Alfadh Al-Quran

Mufradat Alfadh Al-Quran (مفردات الفاظ القرآن) is a book written by Abul-Qasim al-Hussein bin Mufaddal bin Muhammad, better known as Raghib Isfahani (died 1108).  All researchers in the sciences of the Qur’an have agreed on its merit and that it is one of the leading books in this field.

Ragheb Esfahani in this dictionary first brings the root of each word with its literal meaning, then mentions its derivative , then presents the figurative meanings. He testifies to all this, firstly, from the Qur'an, secondly, from hadith, and thirdly, from Arabic poems and sayings. He also mentions the different recitations, the sayings of the Companions and the followers and the scholars, as well as the interpretation of the Qur'an by the Quran.

Basair Zawi Al-Tamyiz fi lataif Al-Kitab Al-‘Aziz

Basair Zawi Al-Tamyiz fi lataif Al-Kitab Al-‘Aziz (بصائر ذوي التمييز في لطائف الكتاب العزيز) is one of the important linguistic interpretations written by the great linguist Majd Al-Din Abu Taher Muhammad bin Ya`qub Al- Fairuzabadi (1329–1414). Al- Fairuzabadi was born in Fars, Persia.

This book contains an introduction in which is the merit of the Qur’an, and some of the general topics related to the Quran, such as the abrogation, and the forms of the discourses in the Quran. Then it takes the topics related to the chapter (surah) of the Qur’an in their well-known order. It mentions in each surah nine things;

1. The place of revelation
2. The number of verses, letters, and words
3. The different views of the reciters in the number of verses
4. The sum of the ending words (Al-Fawasil) of the verses in each surah
5. The name or the names of the surah
6. The concept of each surah, and what is included in it
7. The abrogating and abrogated from the surah
8. The ambiguous ones in each Surah
9. The merit of the surah.

Mausua’t Al-Mu’jam fi figh Al-Quran wa Sirru Balaghatihi

Being published in more than 60 volumes, Mausua’t Al-Mu’jam fi figh Al-Quran wa Sirru Balaghatihi (موسوعة المعجم في فقه لغة القرآن وسرّ بلاغته) is an encyclopedia that has no analogs in the history of writing in the Qur’anic language and rhetoric. Most importantly, this book is based on the strong theological foundations that are evident throughout this work.  

Concerning the meanings and the roots of words, reference is made to the most authentic and documented Arabic language books. The book also includes many of the views of the commentators of the early Islamic time as well as contemporary ones, and this is due to the diligent and painstaking work of the researchers involved in preparing the book, who carefully reviewed all exegetical sources, old and new. As for the usage of vocabularies, there are useful references to rhetorical and exegetical issues, and this matter opens new doors for researchers and scholars in the field of Quranic Sciences and interpretation.

Many researchers participated in the Islamic Research Academy of the Shrine of imam Al-Ridha to create this great masterpiece and the process was supervised by Ayatollah Muhammad Wa’iz Zada Khorasani.

Al-Tahqiq fi Kalimat Al-Quran Al-karim

Al-Tahqiq fi Kalimat Al-Quran Al-karim (التحقيق في كلمات القرآن الكريم) is written by Hasan Mustafawi (1918 - 2005) one of Iran's contemporary scholars.  The book is published in fourteen volumes in Arabic. It is one of the Quranic dictionaries and it can be considered a Quranic encyclopedia as well.   The author has arranged the words of the Qur'an according to the roots of the words and first suggests the explanations of the authoritative books on vocabulary and literature about that word, and then in the section “the research”, he brings his opinion from among the mentioned sayings and justifies it. In the following, many non-Arabic words have been explained which are from Hebrew or other languages.  In 1983 it was chosen as the book of the year of the Islamic Republic of Iran by the Ministry of Islamic Guidance.

References

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