Intermediate Quranic Sciences Surah: At-Takwir (15)

Definition:
Gharib (rare/obscure): a Quranic word whose meaning is unclear to many due to its rarity in Arab dialects, its origin in another language, or its unique Quranic usage.

Causes of obscurity:

1. Dialectal variation — some words were familiar only to certain tribes.
2. Unique Quranic usage: e.g., "Al-asasah" (81:17) — debated: does it mean approaching or withdrawing?
3. Arabicized foreign words: e.g., "Istabraq" (76:21) — from Persian, meaning thick brocade.

Major works on the subject:

• Gharib al-Quran — Ibn Qutaybah (d. 276 AH)
• Nuzhat al-Qulub — Al-Sijistani (d. 330 AH)
• Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran — Al-Raghib al-Asfahani (d. 502 AH) — most comprehensive

Methodology: Returning to Arab language — pre-Islamic poetry, Companion statements, Quranic context. Rare words must not be interpreted by pure personal opinion.

Source: Al-Raghib al-Asfahani, Al-Mufradat (introduction); Al-Suyuti, Al-Itqan (1/153); Al-Zarkashi, Al-Burhan (1/291)

Tags: غريب القرآنعلوم القرآناللغةالتفسيرالمفردات