Surplus of Meaning or Suspending Philology? Some Reflections on the Philological Ramification of the Classical Qurʾān Commentary

Abstract

This study examines the philological data criteria used for exploring the genuine meanings and denominators of Arabic verbatim of the Qurʾān by Muslim exegetes of the classical period, with a special focus on the philological ramification of the commentary of dhālika l-kitāb pattern in Q 2:2. Having attained the status of a corpus (kitāb) in the aftermath of a very long-phased oral tradition, the Qurʾān’s textus receptus reflects both portrayals of verbality and scriptural traits embedded in its Arabic verbatim information yielded by the compilation process. The Qurʾān, representing a junction spot for oral and written traditions in Arab culture, is known to be molded according to the Arabic language register and also formalized the language’s post facto grammar. In this vein, the Qurʾānic text bears a reflexive affiliation with its pertinent language. This article argues that the lingual reciprocity between the Qurʾānic text and its language underwent a critical suspension through commentaries when the case was Qurʾān’s al-kitāb. In this article, the first layer of the data reflects the historical background of the term kitāb. Then, it construes the word within Qurʾān’s cross-references. It exemplifies commentaries on the dhālika l-kitāb pattern, circumventing philological evidence. After elucidating different grounds leading to philological ramification, I argue that a philological inference from the Qurʾān nests in its fullest sense only when the commentator credits historical data and cross-references within the Qurʾānic content.