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The Importance and Role of Context (Siyāq) in Determining the Grammatical Inflection of Qur’anic Words and Phrases: A Case Study of Tafsīr al‑Mīzān
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Ameneh Omidi   |
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Abstract: (4 Views) |
| One of the most significant factors in preventing interpretive errors in Qur’anic exegesis—errors that may result in inaccurate or misleading conclusions—is careful attention to textual context (siyāq) as a continuous verbal indicator. The most notable function of context becomes evident when exegetes propose multiple grammatical possibilities (iʿrāb) for a given word yet do not clearly identify or justify the most appropriate option. In such cases, recourse to the broader syntactic and semantic context of the passage can play a decisive role in determining the precise grammatical construction of a word or phrase. The central question of this study is: How does context, as a structural element in the language of the Qur’an, serve as a basis for determining the syntactic and semantic referent of pronouns and for preferring one grammatical analysis over others in exegesis? Among the exegetes who systematically appeal to this principle is ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī. Employing a library-based research method and content analysis, this study examines the function of context in Tafsīr al‑Mīzān. It concludes that in many grammatical analyses, context has often been reduced merely to a lexical indicator. In contrast, Ṭabāṭabāʾī regards it as an instrument intrinsically linked to the logic of coherence within the revealed text. The originality of this research lies in re-examining the concept of siyāq from the perspective of syntactic–exegetical coherence and exploring its relationship to grammar-based interpretation. The findings demonstrate that, in Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s view, context is not merely a linguistic clue but a tool for ensuring syntactic and semantic coherence in exegetical analysis. |
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| Keywords: Grammatical Interpretation (Iʿrāb Tafsīrī), Semantic Coherence of the Qur’an, Exegetical Context, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Syntactic Referent of Pronouns. |
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Full-Text [PDF 417 kb]
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2026/07/1 | Accepted: 2026/07/1 | Published: 2026/07/1
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