MUSTAROK, MURADIF, TADADH

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

I am Abu Musa. Today is Friday, the last day of Ramadan in 2025. Today, we will study the characteristics of the Arabic language in the Qur'an.

The language of the Qur'an is unique, with every word having characteristics that might not be found in other languages. Here are some distinctive features of the vocabulary in the Qur'an, which, by understanding them, can help us in interpreting its meanings:

1. Polysemy / Mushtarok (Multiple Meanings)

Polysemy or mushterak refers to a word that has more than one meaning or range of meanings. This happens because a word in the Arabic language has an essential meaning or a core meaning that serves as the reason for choosing that word to represent a particular concept. Most Arabic vocabulary has a base structure or set of sounds made up of three or more letters (known as "tsulasa"). This "tsulasa" has different meanings depending on its use in specific contexts.

For example, the root of the word fa-qa-ra (ف ق ر) means "a portion of a field that is not level with the others." From this basic meaning, the derivative word al-faqīr (الْفَقِيْرُ) emerges, referring to "a person who is in need of others' help to meet their life needs due to unavoidable circumstances, such as being disabled, insane, old, or unable to work for a living." This shows how the word faqīr relates to someone who differs from others who are capable of earning a better livelihood.

Similarly, other words like Islam (meaning submission, obedience, or peace) and words like those derived from Qalam (meaning to cut, trim, arrange) have their own range of meanings depending on context.

2. Absence of Synonyms / Muradif

Synonyms are words that have the same or similar meanings. Unlike the Indonesian language, Arabic does not recognize synonyms. Two different words cannot have exactly the same meaning. For instance, the words ad-Dīn and al-Millah are sometimes translated the same in the Qur'an, but they have different, fundamental meanings. Ad-Dīn comes from Allah SWT and is undoubtedly true, while al-Millah comes from human thought, which can be either correct or wrong. Misunderstanding this can lead to a translator mistakenly standardizing different words in the Qur'an.

For example, let's examine the word mubārak (مُبَارَكٌ), often translated as "blessed" or "bestowed with blessings." In Islam, this term is used commonly, but there may be a misinterpretation. Many people understand "blessing" as an abstract goodness attached to something, which cannot be measured empirically. However, the root of the word ba-ra-ka (ب ر ك) means "to make something stable, firm, and sustainable." In this context, "blessed" refers to something that maintains stability and sustainability, like water, which is fundamental to life and mentioned in the Qur'an:

وَنَزَّلۡنَا مِنَ ٱلسَّمَآءِ مَآءٗ مُّبَٰرَكٗا فَأَنۢبَتۡنَا بِهِۦ جَنَّٰتٖ وَحَبَّ ٱلۡحَصِيدِ

“And We sent down from the sky blessed water” (Qaf 50:9).

"Thus, water is a fundamental support for life, or an essential element for maintaining the stability and continuity of life for all biological creatures. The same applies to the olive tree, which produces olive fruit that can be extracted into oil. The olive tree is referred to as syajarah mubārakah (شَجَرَةٌ مُبَارَكَةٌ), meaning that the olive tree is also a life fundamental support in human life. Allah says:

۞ٱللَّهُ نُورُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ مَثَلُ نُورِهِۦ كَمِشۡكَوٰةٖ فِيهَا مِصۡبَاحٌۖ ٱلۡمِصۡبَاحُ فِي زُجَاجَةٍۖ ٱلزُّجَاجَةُ كَأَنَّهَا كَوۡكَبٞ دُرِّيّٞ يُوقَدُ مِن شَجَرَةٖ مُّبَٰرَكَةٖ زَيۡتُونَةٖ لَّا شَرۡقِيَّةٖ وَلَا غَرۡبِيَّةٖ يَكَادُ زَيۡتُهَا يُضِيٓءُ وَلَوۡ لَمۡ تَمۡسَسۡهُ نَارٞۚ نُّورٌ عَلَىٰ نُورٖۚ يَهۡدِي ٱللَّهُ لِنُورِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَيَضۡرِبُ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلَ لِلنَّاسِۗ وَٱللَّهُ بِكُلِّ شَيۡءٍ عَلِيمٞ

“Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light is like a niche within which is a lamp, the lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly [white] star lit from [the oil of] a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire. Light upon light. Allah guides to His light whom He wills. And Allah presents examples for the people, and Allah is Knowing of all things.” (An-Nur [24]: 35)

Blessing is also related to the geographical location where all biological creatures can survive. Humans certainly cannot survive in barren regions like deserts or in areas that are too cold, such as the North and South Poles. The areas that provide life support or are able to sustain human life are mentioned in the Qur’an as munzalan mubārakan (مُنْزَلًا مُبَارَكًا). Allah says:

وَقُل رَّبِّ أَنزِلۡنِي مُنزَلٗا مُّبَارَكٗا وَأَنتَ خَيۡرُ ٱلۡمُنزِلِينَ

“Say, ‘My Lord, place me in a blessed place, and You are the best of those who give a place." (Al-Mu’minun [23]: 29)

This verse illustrates Allah’s command to Prophet Noah (AS) to ask to be placed in a region where life can be sustained, such as areas with water availability, fertile soil, plants, and animals that can be consumed, and so on. Allah also says in another verse:

وَنَجَّيۡنَٰهُ وَلُوطًا إِلَى ٱلۡأَرۡضِ ٱلَّتِي بَٰرَكۡنَا فِيهَا لِلۡعَٰلَمِينَ

“And We saved him (Ibrahim) and Lot to the land which We had blessed for the worlds.” (Al-Anbiya [21]: 71)

Prophets Ibrahim (AS) and Lot (AS) were saved by Allah and placed in an environment that supported the continuity of life. They were not placed in barren regions devoid of life. Therefore, blessing does not refer to an abstract goodness attached to a specific object, which cannot be empirically assessed. Rather, it is contained in all elements that have a fundamental impact on the stability and sustainability of life for all biological creatures.

3. Opposites / At-Tadhādh

Nah, This last characteristic was something I mentioned during a discussion. Once, the speaker said, based on Surah Adh-Dhariyat, verse 56, “wa ma kholaqtul jinna wal insa illa liya'budun” The translation of this verse is, “I did not create jinn and mankind except for them to worship Me.” I then asked a question regarding the speaker’s explanation. My question was as follows: "If humans were created solely to worship Allah, but the reality is that some humans do not worship Allah and even worship other gods, does this mean the verse is wrong?"

Questions like this are actually valid and can be asked by anyone—whether by children, spouses, friends, siblings, and so on. However, the challenge lies in whether we, as Muslims, are able to answer it. This is the challenge. The last linguistic characteristic of the Qur'an will answer this question.

In the Qur'an, there is a characteristic known as At-Tadhādh (التَّضَادُ). The word at-Tadhādh comes from the root word dhidh (ضِدٌّ), which means "opposite or opposing." In Arabic, there are some words that have two meanings that are completely opposite to each other. One example is the word ‘abada (عَبَدَ). On one hand, ‘abada means "to obey, to worship, or to serve," but on the other hand, it can also mean the opposite, which is "to oppose or rebel."

For instance, if we look at Surah Az-Zukhruf, verse 81, specifically the phrase أَوَّلُ الْعَابِدِينَ ("the first to worship"), we find that this is translated as “the first one to worship.” This would imply that if we only interpret ‘abada as "worship" or "to serve," then it would mean that Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) committed shirk, as if he worshipped the Son of God. Let's read Surah Az-Zukhruf, verse 81 together:

قُلۡ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ وَلَدٞ فَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡعَٰبِدِينَ

“Say, ‘If the Most Merciful has a son, then I am the first of worshipers.” (Az-Zukhruf [43]: 81)

Now, does this mean Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) committed shirk because he is saying he would worship the Son of God? If this interpretation were correct, then the concept of Tawhid (monotheism) brought by the Prophet would be immediately destroyed. However, if the word ‘abada is understood as "to oppose" or "to reject," the meaning becomes entirely different.

Therefore, the correct and more contextual meaning of ‘abada in this verse should be: "the first one to reject it." So, the correct meaning of Surah Az-Zukhruf, verse 81 would be:

قُلۡ إِن كَانَ لِلرَّحۡمَٰنِ وَلَدٞ فَأَنَا۠ أَوَّلُ ٱلۡعَٰبِدِينَ

“Say, ‘If the Most Merciful has a son, then I am the first to oppose it.” (Az-Zukhruf [43]: 81)

The same understanding applies to Surah Adh-Dhariyat, verse 56:

وَمَا خَلَقۡتُ ٱلۡجِنَّ وَٱلۡإِنسَ إِلَّا لِيَعۡبُدُونِ

“And I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me.”

Thus, the correct interpretation of this verse would be dualism: "I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship and to oppose (falsehood) to Me."

This is what is known as at-Tadhādh, the use of opposing words or opposites.

I am Abu Musa, and I look forward to meeting you again in our next study sessions.

Wassalamu'alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.