Should the Quran be taken word by word in meaning?

[Al-Fateh]

Should the Quran be taken word by word in meaning?

as for the Quran in meaning, should we as Muslims take everything in the Quran word by word in terms of meaning? or is there a meaning lying behind certain verses...

055.027
YUSUFALI: But will abide (for ever) the Face of thy Lord,- full of Majesty, Bounty and Honour.

{ وَيَبْقَىٰ وَجْهُ رَبِّكَ ذُو ٱلْجَلاَلِ وَٱلإِكْرَامِ }

[al-ghazalli]

As Salam Alikum

as for the Quran in meaning, should we as Muslims take everything in the Quran word by word in terms of meaning? or is there a meaning lying behind certain verses...

everything in the Qur`an must be taken at face value. The verse you is Surah 55:27 the word "face" that is translated in English does not represent the correct understanding in arabic.

In arabic it is "wajh" wajh can have several different meanings (one of them being face) but since this verse describes one of Allah's attributes it is known as the Mutashabihat we take these verses at face value and do not dwell into its meaning.

But making tawil of these meanings is allowed if we have deviant sects denying them such as the Mutazalite or the Mushabbihah.

Secondly majaaz happens in the Qur`an often; majaaz is defined as ‘using the word or expression contrary to what it was originally used for’

"ﻪﻠ ﻊﻀﻭ ﺎﻤ ﺮﻳﻏ ﻲﻔ ﻅﻓﻠﻠﺍﻞﺎﻤﻌﺗﺴﺍ" (One definition given by Imam Ash-Shaukaanee in Irshaad Al-Fuhool is, “The expression used contrary to what it was firstly designed for in a manner that is sound” (ﺢﺻﻴ ﻪﺟﻮ ﻰﻟﻋ ﻻﻮﺃ ﻪﻠ ﻊﻀﻭ ﺎﻤ ﺭﻳﻏ ﻲﻔ ﻞﻣﻌﺘﺴﻣﻠﺍ ﻅﻔﻠﻠﺍ). [1/111]

And when a speaker uses a word in a way contrary to its original application that person is termed a mu’awwil {ﻞﻭﺆﻣ}, and his action is called ta’weel {ﻞﻳﻭﺄﺘ}.

However, it is not the right of any person to interpret another’s words according to a meaning not found in the speaker’s own language.


Furthermore, it is impermissible for one to interpret another’s words according to a meaning found in the interpreter’s language but not found in the language of the one whose words are being interpreted.


To deny the existence of figurative speech in any language is one of the greatest signs of a person’s lack of depth and understanding of the inner workings of language, as well as a sign of stubbornness and the refusal to acknowledge long established realities accepted by all peoples in every age.

[.: Anna :.]

its not "wajj" :s its wajh!

[al-ghazalli]

jazkahllah khair for pointing that out, i editied the post