The Qurʾān’s Self-References to its Arabic Register

The Qurʾān, a central religious text of Islam, is unique in its theological content and its self-referential linguistic features, which invite in-depth scholarly analysis. Among the most notable of these self-referential aspects is the frequent description of the Qurʾān as “Arabic” (Qurʾānan ʿArabiyyan) in many verses. While this attribute may seem self-evident, as the Qurʾān was revealed in Arabic to the Arabs of 7th-century Hijaz, the text’s recurring emphasis on its “Arabicness” raises important questions. Why does the Qurʾān repeatedly highlight its linguistic identity, a fact that its original audience would not have questioned? This inquiry lies at the heart of this study, which aims to explore the rhetorical and theological significance of this emphasis on the Qurʾān’s Arabic nature. The primary objective of this research is not merely to address why the Qurʾān was revealed in Arabic—this being a natural choice given the native tongue of its first audience—but to understand why the Qurʾān repeatedly underscores this aspect. The text itself, through expressions like “an Arabic Qurʾān” (Qurʾānan ʿArabiyyan) and “in clear Arabic language” (lisānun ʿArabiyyun mubīn), reveals a deliberate rhetorical strategy. The study contends that this repetitive self-description is not a mere reiteration of the obvious but serves deeper theological, communicative, and rhetorical purposes. Historically, the question of the Qurʾān’s Arabic nature has been approached from various angles by scholars from both the classical Islamic tradition and contemporary Western academia. Classical Islamic scholars, in this context, appear to have devoted the discussion primarily to whether or not the Qurʾān contains non-Arabic words. Western academics, on the other hand, tend to evaluate the linguistic features of the Qurʾān within the broader context of the Near East—in other words, they focus on the issue of how surrounding cultures and languages may have influenced the Qurʾān. However, despite these efforts, a significant gap remains in the literature regarding the Qurʾān’s internal rationale for emphasizing its Arabic language. Much of the existing scholarship centers around linguistic purity and the influence of foreign languages but neglects the Qurʾān’s own theological and rhetorical objectives. This study seeks to fill this gap by turning attention away from linguistic purity and external influences, focusing instead on the Qurʾān’s self-referential emphasis on being “Arabic”. This study aims to fill this very gap by drawing attention not to issues of linguistic purity (i.e., whether the Qurʾān contains foreign words) or external influences, but rather to the polemical context behind the Qurʾān’s self-referential emphasis on being in Arabic. According to this perspective, the Qurʾān’s frequent emphasis on its Arabic nature serves as a response to the reluctance, skepticism, and objections of its initial audience in 7th-century Hijaz regarding the acceptance of the Prophet’s human nature. Thus, the Qurʾān’s emphasis on Arabic presents a significant rhetorical strategy tied to the theological concerns of the revelation context and the communicative function of the sacred text within those circumstances. To achieve this, the study employs a layered methodology combining textual analysis, historical context, and comparative analysis with other religious traditions. Textual analysis examines key Qurʾānic verses that highlight the Arabic nature of the text, scrutinizing their linguistic and rhetorical features. Historical analysis explores the social, cultural, and religious dynamics of 7th-century Hijaz, contextualizing the Qurʾān’s message in its historical moment. Comparative analysis situates the Qurʾān within the broader framework of other religious traditions, particularly those that, like the Qurʾān, used the native language of their audience. By examining these dimensions, the study aims to uncover the underlying motivations behind the Qurʾān’s repeated self-description as Arabic and its significance within the broader framework of Islamic theology and communication. This research contributes to Qurʾānic studies by offering a fresh perspective on the issue of Arabicness in the Qurʾān, moving beyond linguistic debates to explore the deeper, theological significance of this feature. The study argues that the Qurʾān’s emphasis on its Arabic nature addresses both the theological concerns of its time and the broader communicative function of religious scripture, offering valuable insights into the Qurʾān’s engagement with its initial audience

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