Linguistic and Semantic Analysis of the Divergence in the Recitation of “Kisfan”

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 . Associate Professor in Quranic Sciences and Jurisprudence Department at Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran (Corresponding Author)

2 . PhD Candidate in Quranic and Hadith Sciences at Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.

Abstract

The term “Kisfan” in the Quran has been pronounced with both a fathah (opening) and a sukun (silencing) on the letter sin by various reciters. Linguistic sources attribute multiple meanings to this term, encompassing both nominal and verbal interpretations, including “cutting,” “covering,” “a piece,” “casting down,” “moving away,” “decline,” “overpowering,” “collapsing,” and “being overwhelmed.” Azharī was the first to explore the variations in the recitation of this term within lexicographical studies, referencing Farrāʾ’s insights on its pronunciation and meaning, as well as Zajjāj’s claim that these two recitations imply different meanings. The discourse surrounding the differing recitations of this term is notably more pronounced in exegetical literature from the fourth to the seventh centuries compared to other eras. In the field of Qirā’āt (Quranic recitations), the semantic distinction between these two forms is particularly clear, as one denotes a plural and the other a singular. For example, Ibn ʿĀmir interprets “Kisfan” with a sukun as singular and with a fathah on the sin as plural. Consequently, in contexts suggesting plurality, such as verse 92 of Surah al-Isra, he opts for the fathah, diverging from the majority of reciters, while in verse 48 of Surah al-Rum, he employs the sukun to indicate singularity, again differing from the consensus. Shu’bah, a notable narrator from ʿĀṣim, reads “Kisfan” with a sukun in verses where the particle “min” is used in a partitive context (e.g., kisfan mina al-samāʾ), treating it as singular. The findings of this descriptive-analytical study highlight the presence of “ijtihad” (independent reasoning), “rule-based decisions,” “non-reliance solely on transmission,” and “choice” among certain reciters and narrators, as well as the non-revelatory nature of all variations in recitational recitation.

Keywords

References

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Studies of Quran Reading
Volume 12, Issue 22 - Serial Number 22
September 2024
Pages 219-246

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History

  • Receive Date: 23 October 2023
  • Revise Date: 17 January 2024
  • Accept Date: 04 August 2024

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