Mutual influence between dictionaries and commentaries in understanding "Asāṭīr"

Abstract

The composition of "Asāṭīr al-Awwalīn" is found in nine verses of Qur'an. Disagreement between commentators under these verses is more and less rooted in understanding of "Asāṭīr" word. The purpose of this study is to investigate the disagreement in views in understanding the meaning of this word and etymology of it through its semantic components.Study background in the meaning and origin of this word goes back to the 3rd century (AH.) and the interpretation of Juvaiber. Among the researches related to the Quran, Arthur Jeffery, Rosenthal and other researchers have also addressed it.For this purpose, the meaning presented in the commentary sources, vocabularies and Qur`anic vocabularies have been separated and chronologically compared in order to identify their interaction and mutual influence.This study has found that the old vocabulary sources have been influenced by the commentary view and Quranic usage in presenting the meaning of this word instead of presenting the meaning based on the use in the Arabic language or the language from which this word was transferred to Arabic, they represented in range of their commentary view in these verses it's Quranic examples. Also, contemporary vocabulary affected by discussions and disagreements in contemporary literature commentary about this word and its related discussions, avoid from presenting explicit and clear meaning of it.Finally, this study suggests "continuous and successively placing or cutting, cleave and making same size or drawing straight line" for root meaning of "Satr" which is compatible with several words related to it.

Keywords

• "asāṭīr"
• qur`anic interpretation
• qur`anic vocabularies