Extended Abstract
Research Objective:
Understanding the precise meaning of words is among the most important tasks and the most accurate tools of translation and exegesis. If an exegete or translator undertakes the interpretation or translation of verses without careful attention to the meanings of words, the true understanding and the intended meaning of Almighty God in the verses will be distorted. Because of the temporal distance from the period of the Qurʾān’s revelation, the disappearance of contextual indicators, and changes in language, careful attention to the precise meanings of words must receive serious consideration. Therefore, at the present time, Qurʾānic researchers must subject words that appear self‑evident and seemingly possess clear meanings, or words that apparently occur within a single semantic context, to careful lexical investigation.
This study seeks to examine the term ṣulḥ and its derivatives—one of the frequently occurring words in the Holy Qurʾān—with particular focus on verse 128 of Surah al‑Nisāʾ (Qurʾān 4). The term ṣulḥ and its derivatives occur frequently in the Qurʾān. In all its forms, this word appears 180 times in 170 verses. Among these occurrences, eight relate to familial and social disputes, including verse 128 of Surah al‑Nisāʾ.
Research Methodology
The present study employs a descriptive–analytical method and relies on the lexical meanings of words in authoritative dictionaries as well as the corpus of the Qurʾān. With attention to the context and subject matter of the verses, and by adopting a critical approach and examining verses that share the same theme, the study challenges the well‑known interpretation through the presentation of criticisms and questions. By providing evidence, it demonstrates that the intended meaning of ṣulḥ in the mentioned verse—similar to its usage in seven other verses—is the restoration of rights and the recovery of the woman’s violated rights from the husband. Accordingly, it is not possible in a single verse to remove ṣulḥ from its true meaning—consistent with the context and other verses—and interpret it in the sense of salm.
Findings
From the study and examination of verses concerning disputes and conflicts with emphasis on the terms salm and ṣulḥ, it becomes clear that the Holy Qurʾān employs the term ṣulḥ in the sense of establishing reconciliation and friendship while simultaneously bringing about justice and equity. What is evident is that ṣulḥ does not itself mean justice; rather, justice is one of the necessary conditions of ṣulḥ. In other words, ṣulḥ will be realized only when justice is implemented within it.
The term salm, on the other hand, denotes compromise and yielding out of fear and humiliation. However, in the view of many exegetes, the ṣulḥ emphasized in verse 128 of Surah al‑Nisāʾ—when a woman fears ill‑conduct (nushūz) or aversion on the part of her husband—means overlooking violated rights and relinquishing other rights in order to prevent divorce.
This study concludes that ṣulḥ in this verse, as in other similar verses and contexts, retains its genuine meaning and its consistent usage in this group of verses, namely the establishment of reconciliation while safeguarding the other rights of the woman and restoring her lost rights. Examination of the relevant verses indicates that Almighty God intends to establish and consolidate justice within the Islamic community in its various dimensions. For this reason, He emphasizes one of its necessary requirements—namely ṣulḥ—during disputes and conflicts, whether between two groups or tribes or between spouses. The Islamic community as a whole, and the family system in particular, require individuals who have experienced justice, tasted its sweetness, and internalized fairness and equity among themselves in order to remain vibrant and effective. Individuals who are disappointed and deprived of justice within the Islamic community and the family cannot contribute effectively to the continuity and vitality of society and the family. Justice is the key concept and the secret of the survival of society and the family.
In contrast, when confronting enemies and external forces such as polytheists and hypocrites, the Holy Qurʾān emphasizes avoiding the acceptance of salm, that is, humiliating compromise, and seeks that the polytheists and hypocrites resort to such compromise before the believers, thereby rendering them humiliated.
Conclusion
The intended meaning of ṣulḥ in verse 128 of Surah al‑Nisāʾ, as in the other seven verses, is the restoration of rights and the recovery of the woman’s violated rights from the husband. Therefore, in this verse ṣulḥ cannot be removed from its true meaning—consistent with the context and other verses—and interpreted in the sense of salm.