The semantic nature of the texts of revelation, al reasalah of Imam Al-Shafi’i as an example

Abstract

This study deals with the semantic and hermeneutical nature of the texts of revelation. By examining what Imām Shāfi’ī sat in his Risāla, the researcher is assured of the semantic capacity of the revelation texts, which gives the mujtahid and the interpreter a wide space within the linguistic system of the Arabic language in Order to reach God’s will and verify the meaning of the text. The study reached this conclusion by discussing three important elements presented by Imām Shāfi’ī: First: the constructer of Arabic tongue, second, the statement of God's will and third, The possibility of multiple faces of the revelation’s text.

The study points out the value of understanding the interpretation of the sacred text in Islamic legal discourse. It is hoped that an analysis of the Risāla of Imām Shāfi’ī who has received a huge attention, will show us better understanding of the semantic and hermeneutical nature of revelation’s Islamic texts.

Keywords: interpretation, hermeneutic, revelation, text, Quran, induction.