The Building Blocks of the Language's Uncertainty before Fakhr al-Din al-Razi: The Case of 'Abd al-Qahir Jurjani

Abstract

In the Islamic tradition, linguistic signification has been examined within legal theory (usul al-fiqh) and theo-logy (kalam). These fields discussed linguistic signification in relation to the certainty it conveys. Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606/1210) is considered one of the first to systematize this issue as a theory. He argued that linguis-tic signification is conjectural (zanni) due to possibilities that hinder certainty. This claim was previously de-fended by Taqi al-Din al-Najrani (7th/13th century) and some Hanafi circles. However, no linguist is mentioned as expressing such a view or influencing Razi. This article claims that Razi was influenced by 'Abd al-Qahir Jurjani (d. 471/1078-79) in developing his theory. It seeks to examine Jurjani's opinions on the matter. The introduction discusses how the issue is addressed in legal theory, theology, and other Islamic sciences, reviews the literature, and states the originality of this study. The article then analyzes theories on the certainty of linguistic signification and evaluates Jurjani's views on its conjecturality. It is shown that Jurjani addressed internal factors, such as word order and the lack of meaning in isolated words, as well as external factors, like the possibility of error in transmission. The absence of a linguist before Jurjani who explicitly supported this idea underlines the significance of the study. Furthermore, the article moves the question of certainty in linguistic signification from theology and legal theory back to language itself. It examines the conjecturality of language through the interaction between Razi and Jurjani, using linguistic arguments. The method follows qualitative research, employing data analysis and observation.