By: M. M. Khalid Abdul Nabi Al-Asadi / College of Islamic Sciences

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds, and peace and blessings upon His most beloved creation, the source of His mercy, Muhammad and his purified and chosen family.

The topic of the theory of linguistic jurisprudence and the science of language has been widely discussed, and hundreds of linguistic works have been written on it. Some have elaborated on the terminology contained in this theory, but we have not come across a unified definition of the essence of language. Definitions range from Ibn Sidah, who says: “Language is a set of sounds used by a people to express their needs,” to the modern view that it is “a collection of symbols through which a person expresses what is within,” to the contemporary perspective, which holds that “language is a set of sounds from which words are composed, and which in turn form sentences and phrases that are spoken or written… The word is the basic linguistic unit that actively contributes to forming human knowledge, experiences, ideas, and mental images.”

The idea of the origin of language has evolved since the time of Plato, who believed in its divine origin, through Aristotle, who advocated the conventional theory, to the opinion that language is natural and arose through chance and observation, mimicking the sounds of nature. These ideas were not without basis but were the result of research, inquiry, and study, each group developing its own theory. When Islam emerged, these theories were brought into scrutiny. Some people adopted the divine origin view, supported by the verse from the Qur’an: {And He taught Adam the names of all things, then presented them to the angels, saying, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.”} (Surah Al-Baqarah, 31). They used this verse to argue that language is divine, as Allah taught it to Adam (peace be upon him). However, they overlooked the continuation of the verse, which says: {Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.} The word “these” refers to specific names, not the language itself. Therefore, the verse refers to names, not to language.

The opposing view proposed that language is conventional, meaning it was established through the agreement of a group of scholars who named things, and these names then spread. However, this view is not supported historically. There is no record in history of a group of scholars gathering and naming things. If this were true, it would mean that the Qur’an followed these terms (which is inconceivable, as the Qur’an is the origin of language, even if it was revealed later), as evidenced by the verse: {The Most Merciful, Who taught the Qur’an, created man.} (Surah Ar-Rahman, 1-3). The Qur’an existed before the creation of man. The third view posits that language is natural. However, this too is questionable, as not all things can be explained in this way. Some words, such as the hissing of a snake, the meowing of a cat, and the howling of wolves, may align with this theory, but not all words.

Sayyid Al-Modarresi’s Theory:
Sayyid Muhammad Taqi al-Modarresi believes that the origin of language is a mixture of divine, conventional, and natural origins. The divine aspect involves direct teaching from Allah to His servant, either through revelation, inspiration, or direct communication. This is divine and humans have no role in creating words or attaching meanings to them. As for the conventional aspect, it is possible to invent many terms or names for perceptible meanings. For example, the term “metaphor” was coined by scholars to refer to a word used in a sense other than its original one, with an implied meaning. Similarly, “intertextuality” was coined by Julia Kristeva to describe direct and indirect quotations, among other terms. This is just one example.

As for the natural aspect of language, some words may indeed correspond to animal sounds, colors, and other natural phenomena. Therefore, the origin of language comes from a blend of all three theories, rather than one theory standing alone. The divine, conventional, and natural elements all contribute to the development of language.

This theory by Sayyid al-Modarresi is active and practical, accommodating all perspectives. It represents a continuation of previous theories, starting where others left off. This theory is not merely theoretical; it is applied and demonstrated in his valuable works, particularly in his book “Fiqh al-Istinbat” (The Jurisprudence of Inference), specifically in the second volume, where he applies this theory with concrete evidence.

All praise is due to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds.

Sources of the article

Al-Muḥaṣṣaṣ: Ibn Sidah, Bulaq Printing House.

General Linguistics: Ferdinand de Saussure.

Linguistic Knowledge: Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Al-Matouq.

Guidance from the Quran: Sayyid Al-Modarresi.

Jurisprudence of Inference: Sayyid Al-Modarresi.

Rhetoric in Question and Answer: Dr. Durgam Al-Mousawi.