The Role of khafāʾ al-maʿnā (‘Obscurity of Meaning’) in Qur'anic Rhetoric

Abstract

Khafāʾ al-maʿnā (‘obscurity of meaning’) is a distinctive characteristic of Qur’anic rhetoric that helps the Qur’an convey its intended message. It grips the attention of its readers, regardless of time or place, and should be considered an integral element of Qur’anic iʿjāz (‘inimitability’). This study divides khafāʾ al-maʿnā into three linguistic categories: lexical, morphologic, and syntactic, and these categories will be explored through three research questions and thirteen research points. The paper will examine reader response to the Qur’anic text found in various works of tafsīr from differing historical periods. The objective is not to assess the accuracy of the mufassirs’ interpretations, but to objectively explore the influence that khafāʾ al-maʿnā has on the reading process.

This study uses the term ‘Qur’anic rhetoric’ in order to distinguish between ‘Qur’anic rhetoric’ and ‘Qur’anic text’. This differentiation is based on the idea that the meaning of the literal ‘textual’ verses of the Qur’an is clear, and does not involve any obscurity of meaning (and, moreover, the interpretation of these verses has been clarified by Muḥammad). However the ‘rhetorical’ verses invite the Qur’an’s readers, in their respective times and places, to read, contemplate, and reflect on them, and to attempt to uncover the hidden meanings that can be found by exploring their linguistic context.