The linguistic approach to interpretation by Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Saghir (d. 1444 AH)

Abstract

Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Sagheer went to the necessity of the interpreter's use of different levels of language, especially in analytical and comparative interpretation; to extract the meanings of the Holy Quran; because it is one of the aspects of linguistic miracle.

Dr. Al-Sagheer believes that Al-Raghib Al-Isfahani (d. 502 AH) is the first founder of the lexical interpretation of the vocabulary of the words of the Holy Quran.

Al-Sagheer believes that the linguist’s statement in interpretation remains within the realm of conjectural evidence, and it may be definitive if it is a text in the evidence as in some of the noble verses. In this, he tends towards the fundamentalists in saying that the linguist’s statement is not authoritative except in the manner of conjecture. As for his consideration, it is because he is one of the people of specialization, so his statement is something that generates reassurance for the interpreter if there is no difference, and with its existence, he needs the evidence that gives weight to adopting one of them. It appears that Dr. Al-Sagheer believes that the history of the emergence of the linguistic approach to interpretation began in the second century AH and was at its peak in the fourth century AH, until this approach became the apparent characteristic in these two centuries. What appears from Dr. Al-Sagheer is his preference for the views of the Kufa School over others, and his distancing himself from scientific interpretation, as is evident in some of his lectures.