Meaning of Words and Verses
In any language, what is being conveyed in both speech and writing by the speaker or writer can only be understood if the meanings of words are shared through a convention. In speech much depends on the sound and tone of the voice. In writing the use a standardized spelling is necessary.
An Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on context. It may be variations (nuances) related to the same meaning or a different meaning altogether. Which meaning an author decides to use depends on what idea or information he/she intends to convey. The reader must discern the context in which the idea is delivered. This requires the reader to read and understand the sentence where the word is used and also the information given by the author by in other sentences that surround it.
Therefore, when writing a narrative (letter, article or book), the author may apply:
- the same meaning to a word throughout
- give different meanings to the word when using it at different places
Meanings in Current Translations vs Possible Meanings
In reappraising the meaning of the Quran, I am compelled to examine alternative meanings of all words to see if they contribute to a more appropriate and fitting interpretation. Instead of assuming the meanings as used in the current understanding and practice (syariat) of Islam, I choose to look at meanings of words as used before as well as with the advent of Islam. An Arabic word may have a range of meanings depending on context. These may be variations (nuances) related to the same meaning or a different meaning altogether.
Meanings Taken by Traditional Translators
Currently there are many resources that provides meanings of verses by various translators. At the same time, some discusses the Arabic grammar, syntax and morphology for each word in the Holy Quran. The sites that I chose to use are:
Both resources use different approaches to provide the following functions:
- provides meanings of verses by various translators
- separate the verse into individual words
- identify root letters of the word
- assign the grammar to the word
- give the sites own literal meaning to each word
- list out words arising from the same root letters
The print-screen images below provide a glimpse of the various functions.
Images From Corpus.quran Website
Corpus.quran through its Quran dictionary also allows me to locate all verses where words derived from a root word occurs. Based on this, a person can see words derived from the same root letters have the same or different meanings when used elsewhere in the Quran. Since the surah and verse is known, the context within which the word is used can also be known.
Images From IslamCity.org Website
The IslamCity Website gives an easy way to search verses by surah and ayat.
Where Are We Going To 