Selected Grammatical Issues Attributed to the Qur’an: A Critical and Analytical Study in the Light of Tafsir al-Qurtubi

قرآنِ کریم کے منتخب نحوی اشکالات کا تنقیدی و تجزیاتی مطالعہ: تفسیرِ قرطبی کی روشنی میں

Abstract

This study presents a critical and analytical examination of selected grammatical issues attributed to the Qur’an, with particular reference to Al-Jami‘ li-Ahkam al-Qur’an by Imam al-Qurtubi. The study aims to investigate grammatical constructions in selected Qur’anic verses that may appear, at first glance, to differ from commonly established rules of Arabic grammar, and to examine the linguistic and grammatical explanations offered by classical scholars to clarify these constructions. The research focuses on seven selected issues, including variation in grammatical case between coordinated elements, the plural form of a verb preceding an explicit plural subject, the nominative case of the noun of Inna, apparent disagreement between an adjective and its noun in gender, the use of a plural relative pronoun with a singular noun, the use of a plural verb with a dual subject, and the gender and number of numerals and their counted nouns. Through an analytical study of al-Qurtubi’s exegetical discussions, the research explores the grammatical opinions, Arabic linguistic usages, dialectal variations, poetic evidence, and interpretative explanations cited by him and other grammarians. The study adopts a descriptive and analytical approach, examining these issues in the context of classical Arabic linguistic conventions rather than judging them solely by the most common grammatical rules. It demonstrates that constructions regarded as grammatical irregularities may often be explained through recognized Arabic linguistic usages, alternative syntactic analyses, semantic considerations, and established dialectal forms. The study concludes that a careful examination of classical exegetical and grammatical sources is essential for understanding the linguistic features of the Qur’an and evaluating claims concerning its grammatical constructions. It also highlights the significance of Tafsir al-Qurtubi as a valuable source for studying Qur’anic grammar and the interpretative methods employed by classical Muslim scholars.

Keywords: Qur’anic Grammar, Grammatical Issues, Tafsir al-Qurtubi, Qur’anic Exegesis, Arabic Syntax, Grammatical Analysis, Classical Arabic Linguistics