Debates on the Nature and Origins of Language in Islamic Linguistics
There are many definitions made by experts about language, depending on the focus. One
of the definitions of language expressed by one of the famous figures of linguistics is Ibn Jinni's
definition. He is an Arabic linguist who is famous for his views on language, especially Arabic
which has been expressed in his works. One of his works is al-Khashais. He explains that language
is the sound used by every person to express their purpose. This definition contains the main
elements of the definition of language and is in accordance with the modern definition of language.
For him, language is a social reality. Therefore, all languages that exist in society have the same
status.
Other linguists such as Abu Ali al-Farisi say that language is tauqifi. That it is taught by
Allah through revelation. According to him, all the languages spoken by humans on earth were
previously revealed to Prophet Adam. This is based on the word of Allah SWT in the Surah al-Baqarah verse 31:
وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ
الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ
أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
“And He taught Adam
the names – all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, Inform Me
of the names of these, if you are truthful.”
Ibnu al-Farisi's tauqifi theory was later opposed by other language scholars such
as Ibnu Jinni. According to Ibnu Jinni, language is a term that is created by humans, not a revelation.
Language begins with sign language, then becomes simple sounds from imitating the sounds
around it, until it becomes a complete language after a long time.
The debate about language is not only in the definition of language itself. Linguists also
state that there is majaz in language. However, not all scholars agree on the existence of majaz in
the Qur'an. This difference in opinion is based on differences in analysis and conclusions about
the origin of the language itself. So that it gives influences to the study of the language of the Qur'an,
one of the themes of its study is majaz. In general, these differences of opinion can be grouped
into 3, such as: First: the opinion that says that there is no majaz in the Qur'an. They believe that
language is a gift from God. Second: the opinion that accepts the existence of majaz in the Qur'an.
They reason that one of the factors of the beauty of the Qur'an lies in the beauty of its language
style. Third: a group that prefers to stay silent, because the issue of majaz in the Qur'an is seen as
directly related to the issue of faith.
According to conventional theory, the origin of language lies in the conventional act of
assigning or clumping. Although there are several opinions on how words came to have meaning.
Based on such meanings being attached through God's act of revelation or by some combination
of God or human convention. As the Assyrian theologian and jurist Shirazi express it, the majority
of philosophers and theologians essentially think that language was originally formed through
convention, whereby certain speech and words were assigned to signify certain objects. In short,
language according to conventional theory is how metaphorical speech and expressions come to
be.
In relation to majaz in language, Ibnu Taimiyah rejected the difference between
literal/verbal (ḥaqīqī) and tropical/metaphorical (majāzī) speech in language. A difference that has
been well established across the major disciplines of classical Islamic intellectual thought: poetry,
classical Islamic thought theology: poetry, theology, tafsir, law, and philosophy that have gained
scientific attention. Ibnu Taymiyyah's theory of language is related to the explanation of the
theological implications and significance of real and metaphorical expressions.
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