The Problem of Interpreting Words Literally in Arab and Islamic Culture (A Descriptive and Analytical Study)

Abstract

The relationship between word and meaning has always been an ambiguous one. From the moment humankind began assigning words to the concepts they wished to convey or express, they entered a continuous cycle of explanation and interpretation. In fact, we still do not—and perhaps never will—know with certainty when this process first occurred. The Qur’an, however, seems to allude to its earliest manifestation in the story of the first creation, that of Adam (peace be upon him), when God said to the angels: ―Inform Me of the names of these‖ (Al-Baqarah: 31). The angels were unable to name them, for they had not yet learned the correspondence between word and referent. Adam, on the other hand, ―informed them of their names,‖ saying: this is called such-and-such, thus revealing the harmony between name and named object.
While naming visible objects may seem simple and straightforward, naming what is abstract or imaginary is considerably more complex. In naming tangible entities—such as stone, water, or wood—no elaborate explanation is required; yet when we deal with abstract notions or mental constructs, the process necessarily involves definition and clarification. For instance, when one uses the word recompense, an explanation becomes necessary, since it does not refer to a visible or tangible thing.