Extended Abstract
Research Objective:
This article aims to describe the correspondence between the verse‑endings (fawāṣil al‑āyāt) of the Meccan Surahs (excluding Surah al‑Baqarah) and the implicit meanings contained within them. It further seeks to analyze the semantic layers underlying their apparent meanings from the perspective of al‑Zamakhsharī in his commentary al‑Kashshāf.
Research Methodology:
The study adopts a documentary and library‑based research method, employing the note‑taking technique. In addition, a descriptive–analytical approach is used to explain the relationship between the verse‑endings and the implicit meanings arising from them, and to analyze these meanings on the basis of al‑Zamakhsharī’s interpretation in al‑Kashshāf.
Findings:
1. The verse‑endings, in light of the letters that compose them and the phonetic characteristics of each letter, play a significant role in inspiring implicit meaning, such that each letter—alongside the other letters within the word—contributes to conveying a meaning appropriate to them. Plosive and voiced letters (shadīd, majhūr) convey implicit meanings such as forcefulness, intensity, hardness, and clarity, whereas soft and voiceless letters (khafīf, mahmūs) inspire implicit meanings such as humiliation and abasement, weakness, and lack of clarity. Moreover, the type of rhyme letter (ḥarf al‑rawī) and other phonological phenomena—such as assimilation (idghām), deletion (ḥadhf), and deviation from the norm in verse‑endings—affect individual emotions and feelings and prepare them to receive the implicit meanings appropriate to their phonetic characteristics. Accordingly, the various phonetic aspects of verse‑endings may be regarded as influential factors in the presentation of their corresponding implicit meanings.
2. In addition to the influence of the phonetic aspects of verse‑endings, the context and position of the verses also contribute to the presentation of implicit meanings appropriate to the atmosphere of the verse. For example, the fricative and voiceless letter ḥāʾ in the words ḍabḥan and qadḥan conveys intense and forceful meanings such as fervor, heat, and forcefulness. By contrast, the fricative and voiceless letters thāʾ, shīn, and fāʾ in the words mabthūth and manfūsh indicate meanings associated with humiliation and abasement. This relates to the prevailing atmosphere of the verses: in Surah al‑ʿĀdiyāt (Qur’ān 100), the vigorous galloping of horses is described, and the letter ḥāʾ reflects the fervor and intensity generated by this dynamic scene. In Surah al‑Qāriʿah (Qur’ān 101), however, the discourse concerns the condition of human beings on the Day of Resurrection, and these fricative letters suggest the humiliation and abasement of human beings after death, which corresponds fully with the context and position of the verses.
3. Al‑Zamakhsharī sometimes considers the implicit meanings of verse‑endings in comparison with the verse‑endings preceding and following each verse, and at other times examines them independently. Through his literary and rhetorical perspective, he explores the words and their inner layers, leading to a precise understanding of Qurʾānic vocabulary. His interpretations influence the reader’s emotions and feelings, and as a result of these inner effects, the implicit meanings corresponding to them are inspired and perceived within the individual.
Conclusion:
The verse‑ending reflects the correspondence between sound and meaning, inspires implicit Qurʾānic meanings, and ultimately represents one of the aspects of the Qurʾān’s inimitability (iʿjāz) and a manifestation of its eloquence. Furthermore, al‑Zamakhsharī’s al‑Kashshāf, as a rhetorical–literary source, plays an important role in elucidating these meanings.