Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Exploring the Quranic Foundations of the Spirit of Meaning Theory and Its Implications for Understanding Quranic Language: Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s Perspective

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
Sedighe Sanezade 1
Mahdieh sadat Mostaghimi 2
marzieh sadegi rashti 3
1 PhD student, Islamic Theology, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Theology and Philosophy, University of Qom, Qom, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Theology and Philosophy, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.
10.22034/jid.2024.363308.2368
Abstract
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A prominent view on the semantics of ambiguous words in the Quran is the spirit of meaning theory. Initially proposed by al-Ghazālī, this theory was further defended by intellectuals such as Mullā Ṣadrā, al-Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Imam Khomeini, and ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabāʾī. Javadi Amoli’s works pay particular attention to this theory, applying a set of Quranic and exegetical principles to both ambiguous and unambiguous words. This article seeks to uncover the Quranic foundations of the spirit of meaning theory and analyze its implications for understanding Quranic words based on Javadi Amoli’s principles. Key principles explored include the manifestation of Quranic revelation, its gradation, universality, and perpetuity. The article examines the theory's implications in areas such as graded understanding, exegetical interpretation, applied understanding, and the rejection of figurative or metaphorical explanations of God's transmitted attributes. Using a descriptive-analytic approach, the article concludes that this theory plays a crucial role in achieving a deeper and more accurate understanding of the Quran compared to rival theories.
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Keywords
Quran
spirit of meaning
literal and figurative speech
transmitted divine attributes
Javadi Amoli
Subjects
The Quran.
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Journal Of Islamic Denominations
Volume 11, Issue 21 - Serial Number 21
September 2024
Pages 143-166