Constructing Foreign Vocabulary in the Qurʾān: A Comparative Study of Ibn al-Jawzī and al-Kirmānī
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18592/al-banjari.v25i1.17780Abstract
This article examines the contested issue of the existence of foreign elements in the Qurʾān, with particular attention to the interpretive frameworks of Ibn al-Jawzī and al-Kirmānī. The debate represents a persistent intellectual tension between claims of linguistic purity and historical processes of language contact, making it a crucial site for understanding the epistemological construction of Qurʾānic language. While classical scholars such as al-Shāfi‘ī and Ibn Fāris emphasize the absolute Arabness of the Qurʾān, others acknowledge the presence of non-Arabic elements that have undergone processes of Arabization (taʿrīb). This study situates itself within this debate by proposing a comparative hermeneutical analysis to map how foreign vocabulary is conceptualized, categorized, and legitimized within classical tafsīr traditions. Using a qualitative library-based approach, the research employs comparative hermeneutics and structural analysis to examine the interpretive strategies of both scholars and to identify their underlying linguistic assumptions. The findings demonstrate that both Ibn al-Jawzī and al-Kirmānī recognize the historical existence of foreign-origin vocabulary in the Qurʾān but reinterpret such elements through the framework of Arabization, thereby preserving the doctrinal claim of ʿarabiyy mubīn. However, their approaches differ significantly: Ibn al-Jawzī tends to integrate linguistic, lexicographical, and historical arguments, while al-Kirmānī emphasizes classificatory and semantic distinctions rooted in the concept of ʿajam. This study argues that the discourse on foreign vocabulary in the Qurʾān is not merely a linguistic issue but reflects broader epistemological negotiations between textual authority, linguistic identity, and historical context. Accordingly, the concept of Arabization serves as a mediating framework that reconciles apparent contradictions between linguistic purity and historical plurality. The study contributes to Qurʾānic studies by offering a structured analytical model for understanding classical linguistic debates and their implications for contemporary hermeneutics.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Eva Nugraha, Muallifah Muallifah, Dasrizal M. N.

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