Advanced Choice Surah: Al-Hijr (26)

Introduction:
Word selection in the Quran is not random — every word enriches beyond its alternative, and any substitution loses precision and beauty.

Differences between "khalaqa," "sana'a," and "ja'ala":

• Khalaqa (created): Origination from absolute nothingness or from material without prior model — mostly specific to Allah or used to highlight the greatness of creation — "He created the heavens and earth." (2:29)
• Sana'a (made/crafted): Work with mastery and craftsmanship — "The work of Allah who perfected all things." (27:88) — highlights precision, not origination from nothing.
• Ja'ala (made/set): Transformation and conversion — "He made darkness and light." (6:1) — an existing thing was converted to a state.

Example of miraculous selection:
"And We created man from clay of altered black smooth mud." (15:26) — "created" because the human is an origination from simple matter into which Allah breathed life, intellect, and spirit — saying "made" would imply only craftsmanship without the vital origination.

The principle: A Quranic word cannot be replaced by its synonym — every word is chosen for a semantic angle its alternative cannot provide.

Source: Al-Raghib Al-Asfahani, Mufradat (p.155, 488); Al-Jurjani (p.361); Al-Zarkashi (1/286)

Tags: الاختيار اللفظيالحجرخلق وصنع وجعلالإعجاز اللغويالمفردات القرآنية