Abd al-Rahman al-Hujaili
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Abd al-Rahman al-Hujaili (full name: Abd al-Rahman ibn Muhammad Sa‘d al-Hujaili) is a contemporary Saudi scholar and academic in Arabic linguistics and Quranic studies, known for his research on Quranic concordances and classical Arabic lexicography.
Education and Academic Career
Al-Hujaili pursued his higher education at the Islamic University of Madinah. He completed his master’s degree in graduate studies there, defending his thesis on the influence of the Quran on Arabic language studies during the first three Islamic centuries (Ta’thir al-Qur’an fi Dirasat al-Lugha al-Arabiyya fi al-Qurun al-Thalatha al-Ula) on 1 Muharram 1403 AH. In 1407 AH, he earned his doctorate from the Faculty of Arabic Language at the same university after editing a section of a classical commentary on Tha‘lab’s grammatical work al-Fasih. In addition to his formal academic studies, he studied Quranic recitation and tajwid under scholars in Medina, including Muhammad Isma‘il Qul Muhammad. He was also involved in academic events and committees organized by the Islamic University of Madinah.
Scholarly Contributions
Al-Hujaili's scholarship focuses on Arabic lexicology and the systematic indexing of the Quranic text. In his study al-Ma‘ajim al-mufahrasa li-alfaz al-Qur’an al-Karim (Indexed Concordances of the Words of the Noble Quran), originally prepared for a scholarly symposium, he traced the evolution of Quranic indexing from early works on rare vocabulary (gharib al-Qur'an) to modern exhaustive concordances. In the work, he analyzed the organizational methodologies of Quranic dictionaries, comparing root-based indexing (al-tartib al-jadhri) with phonetic or surface-form ordering (al-tartib al-nutqi), and outlined criteria for comprehensive indexing of Quranic words, particles, and pronouns.
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List of Works
This bibliographic and analytical study explores Quranic concordances and dictionaries. Originally prepared for a scholarly symposium organized by the Saudi Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da'wah, and Guidance, the work examines the historical development of Quranic lexicography from early gharib al-Qur'an (unusual vocabulary) literature to modern exhaustive concordances, critically assessing their structural designs and methodologies.