reynolds-the-quran-in-its-historical-context-2

122 Hani Hayajnehand the situations it narrates) that must be interpreted to mean something forsomeone in the particular contexts in which it is iilterpreted. 20Some commentators on the Qur'an understand the text from their own socialand linguistic context. Certain scholars argue that these commentators have laden·the Qur' an with meanings that became part of a symbolic system of Islamic literature.This symbolic knowledge is restricted to the insiders of this culture; foralien interpreters it still needs explanation. Martin argues that by referrfug toexegetical literature in order to achieve an understanding of the Qur'an, we havenot yet transformed its symbolic language into a: language of explanation. 21 I thinkthat the historical and cultural horizon of the interpreter's understanding shouldnot influence the meaning of the texts, especially if we are dealing with a sacredtext such as the Qur'an. A universal understanding of the Qur'an means that itmust be valid to scholars from different social and cultural backgrounds. This .isespecially important for a sacred text such as the Qur'an.Arabian and other seJ.Ditic languages andQur'anic lexicographyThe lexical study conducted in the present chapter will show that some Qur'anicwords, if interpreted in the light of Arabian epigraphical languages, are seen tohave a meaning that might better clarify the context of the respective Qur'anicverse. My conclusions regarding the meaning of the words are the result oflinguistic etymological analysis based on existing contemporary knowledge of ·Semitic languages in general and ASA in particular. Such an endeavor might yield ·results that are, sometimes, not harmortious with the exegetical tradition. Still theexegetical sources, including asbab al-nuziilliterature, have value. Firstly, in lightof their historical proximity to the period of the Qur'an's proclamation thesesources can help us understand how the first people who heard the Qur'an fromthe Prophet Mul)ammad understood the ideas spread in it. 22 Consulting relatedcommentaries that contain direct statements and comments of the Prophet, ifavailable, as well as his companions on a particular verse or word, and not onlyrelying upon what the commentators understand from the text, might help eluci- ·date some passages of the Qur' an. Secondly, citing and using the exegetical workswhile treating the respected Qur' anic words will show that these reports preserved ·in those sources constitute an elell').ent of tradition. Furthermore, it is necessary tosee the position of the explanations proposed as a result of linguistic analysisagainst the meanings suggested by the exegetes. Therefore, it should be under- ·stood that the results of my etymological analysis as demonstrated in the second ..part are not mainly dependent on the narratives that are maintained in the reports.of asbiib al-nuzl7l. In other words, taking tafoir and sabab literature into account20 Ibid., 363.21 Ibid.22 Cf. Martin, "Understanding the Qur'an in text and context," 363, for an opposite argument.Arabian languages as a source for Qur'iinic vocabulary 123does not necessary mean that I wholly build on the arguments presented in theseas we cannot ascertain whether such reports are historically accurateto be used as a basis for establishing a historical context.For some time now scholars of epigraphy have sought to awaken scholars in theofQur'anic studies to the importance of Ancient South Arabian epigraphy, ·.mcluding Himyarite and other Semitic languages. A number of critical studiesinclude this topic have been published, e.g. Dvorak's "Uber die Fremdworter. im Koran," 23 H. Grimme's "Uber einige Klassen siidarabischer Lehnworter im· and A. Jeffery's The Foreign Vocabulary of the Qur'iin.2 5 More recent·.·. . on this topic include A. Rippin's "Epigraphical South Arabian and Qur'anic'exegesis" 26 and C. Rabin's "On the probability of South-Arabian influence on thevocabulary." 27 In his dissertation, "Early Southern Arabian Languages and·CJ:assiical Arabic Sources," 28 the late Mahmud Ghul addresses certain Arabicdesignated in the Arabic sources as Yemeni or Himyarite. In his article'"''"'·u"w nuqiish al-Yaman al-qadfmafi turiith al-lugha a!- 'arabiyya al-fit:sbii," 29. analyzes some Qur' anic words in the light of Ancient South Arabian languages.· Serjeant discusses the word mibriib in relation to ASA mbrb. 3 ° Christian Robinsome loanwords with religious connotations in ASA and the Qur'an. 31shows that Aramaic was one of the main sources of this category of words.An extreme method toward studying the Qur'anic text was presented byGhri!;tor>h Luxenberg (pseudonym) in his book entitled Die syro-aramiiische. . des Koran: Ein Beitrag zur Entschliisselung der Koransprache. 32 He.argues that the Qur'an has Syro-Aramaic origins. This argument has been widely.wo""''Ul''"u by the academic community. 33 He tries to identify an underlyingp Dvorak, op. cit.H. Grimme, "0ber emtge Klassen sUdarabischer Lehnwllrter im Koran," Zeilschrift fiirAssyriologie und Vorderasiatische Archiiologie 26, 1912, 158-68.Jeffery, FV.A. Rippin, "Epigraphical South Arabian and Qur'anic exegesis," JSAI 13, 1990, 153-74.. C. Rabin, "On the probability of South-Arabian influence on the Arabic vocabulary," JSAI 4, 1984,125-34.M.A. Ghul, Early Southem Arabian Languages and Classical Arabic Sources: A Critical Exami- ·nation of Liter01y and Lexicographical Sources by Comparison with the Inscriptions Omarai-Ghul (ed.). Irbid: Yarmouk University Press, 1993.··•·L.'' AI-uJmiL "Makiinat nuqlish al-yaman al-qadima fi turiith al-lughat a/- 'arabiyyot al-fu•(lii,"·.Al-H1l'n>fn 38, 1975, 34-49.. R. Serjeant, "Mil)riib," BSOAS22, 1975,439-53.'E.g., C. Robin, "A propos de Ia priere: Emprunts lexicaux ii l'bebreu et l'arameen releves dans les. ·: inscriptions preislamlques de I' Arabie meridionale et dans le Coran," in G. Dorival and D. Pra1on· · · ·(eds), Prieres medilerrom?ennes !tier et aujourd'hui, Aix-en-Provence: Publications de l'Universitede Provence, 2000, 45-69.C. Luxenberg, Die syro-aramiiische Lesart des Koran, Berlin: Das Arabische Buch, 2000.See A. Neuwirth, "Qur' an and History- A Disputed Relationship. Some Reflections on Qur' anic·History and History in the Qur'an", Journal ofQur'anic Studies, 2003, 5/1, 1-18, F. de Blois,;.Review of C. Luxemberg, Die syro-aramiiische Lesart des Koran, JQS 5, 2003, 92-97;· K Hoyland, "Epigraphy and the linguistic background of the Qur'iin," in QHC, 51-69.