The Impact of Variations in Quranic Readings on the Stability and Transformation of Morphological Structure: An Analytical Study of Ibn al-Daqūqī’s Perspective

Abstract

This research aims to investigate the morphological and semantic impact of various Quranic recitations (Qira'at), focusing on the scholarly contributions of the grammarian and reciter Ibn al-Daqouqi. The study examines the manifestations of phonetic diversity and its direct influence on morphological structures, detailing how different recitations alter verbal and nominal forms while maintaining structural stability in other contexts. Additionally, it explores the rhetorical and linguistic purposes of Quranic discourse and their correlation with these phonetic shifts. By employing a descriptive-analytical methodology, the paper highlights the profound relationship between phonetic variation and semantic depth, demonstrating how Quranic recitations enrich Arabic linguistic heritage and underscore its eloquence.

Flexibility and Stability of Morphological Forms: The research reveals that the structural stability of a form within a linguistic construction does not conflict with the diversity of its phonetic realization. On the contrary, this diversity imparts a miraculous rhetorical dimension to the Quranic context, combining conciseness of expression with breadth of meaning. Multiplicity of Morphological Structures and Loci of Variation: The applied study demonstrates that the most prominent instances of morphological variation across different Quranic readings (qira'at) lie in the diversity of verb forms—such as the distinction between simple (unaugmented) and augmented forms, or between unweighted (light) and weighted (emphatic/intensive) forms. Furthermore, variations in the vocalization (harakat) of these structures can shift a word from one morphological significance to another—for instance, transitioning between the roles of agent (fa'il) and object (maf'ul), or between a verbal noun (masdar) and an active participle (ism fa'il).