Ketab-E-Qayyem

Ketab-E-Qayyem

The Qur’anic Discourse on the Narrative of Origination and Creation: A Linguistic Study

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 M.A graduate, Department of Quranic Sciences and Hadith, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
2 Associate Professor, Department of Quranic Sciences and Hadith, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.
10.30512/kq.2025.20907.3788
Abstract
One of the subjects to which God has exhorted His servants is reflection and deep contemplation on the stages of origination and creation. The Holy Qur’an is a book of guidance; therefore, it sometimes addresses a single subject across different verses, highlighting a particular dimension of that subject in each verse, such that at times the lexical expressions employed are identical. To uncover the semantic interconnectedness of Qur’anic verses, attention to shared themes and a comprehensive consideration of the corresponding verses appear essential. One of the primary criteria for identifying semantic relationships among Qur’anic verses is the examination of their lexical connections and the analysis of how specific terms are employed within the Qur’an itself. This is because, in many cases, the intended meaning of a word can be discerned through its contextual usage. The Holy Qur’an addresses the process of creation and origination through a coherent network of specialized vocabulary, each term referring to a specific type or stage of creation. In the Qur’anic discourse, verses related to origination are presented in a dispersed manner across different surahs. The concept of creation is intricately linked to the subtle notion of “breathing” through roots such as nafs, nafḳh, nasmāh, nafth, and nafḥ. The roots zarʿ and ḥarth, as well as nabat, express the processes of sowing and growth within creation, while notions of dispersion and dissemination in a state of minuteness or smallness are derived from the roots dhurriyyah, dharr, dhurw, and dharaʾa. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and conducted through the semantic analysis and etymological investigation of vocabulary related to creation in the Qur’an, the present study seeks to elucidate the Qur’anic approach to creation and to examine the stages of origination and Creation.
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  • Receive Date 23 November 2023
  • Revise Date 04 May 2024
  • Accept Date 17 May 2024