Qur’anic interpretation and the phenomenon of ellipsis and brevity : a critical analysis

Abstract EN

Scholars of Qur’anic Studies like al-ZarkashÊ (d.794 A.H.) and al-SuyËÏÊ (d.911 A.H.) have dealt in detail with Qur’anic ellipsis and brevity (Íadhf and ÊjÉz) in their respective works on Qur’anic Studies.

Commentators of the Qur’an like al-ÙabarÊ (d.310 A.H.), al-ZamakhsharÊ (d.538 A.H.), and al-RÉzÊ (d.606 A.H.) have identified the phenomenon of ellipsis and brevity at several places in the Qur’an.

Yet, this feature of the Qur’an did not get proper recognition in the methodology of Qur’anic interpretation.

The Qur’an came down in the linguistic style of Arabs in general and Quraysh in particular who loved to apply ellipsis and brevity in their poetry and prose.

Any poem or oration deplete with this style was not appreciated by Arabs.

One of the main reasons for the Arabs’ acceptance of the Qur’an as the most effective and highly moving discourse was its brevity (ÊjÉz) due to the ellipsis (Íadhf) of details of the matter concerned.

It seems then quite pertinent to interpret the Qur’an by taking into consideration, among others, phenomenon of ellipsis and brevity.

One may see four kinds of ellipsis occurred in the Qur’an: (1) the background of revelation, (2) certain words, (3) complete sentence, and (4) whole paragraph.

Interpretation of the Qur’an needs to be based on the identification of one kind of ellipsis or another.

This exercise may facilitate the serious task of Qur’anic interpretation.

This paper will identify and explain the four categories of ellipsis and brevity in the Qur’an.