al-Wujuh wa al-Nazair li Abi Hilal al-Askari - Mutazili
- Author died
- 395 AH
- Editions
- Maktabat al-Thaqafah al-Diniyyah
al-Wujuh wa al-Nazair (also recorded as Kitab al-Nazair) is a treatise on Quranic polysemy by the philologist and literary scholar Abu Hilal al-Askari (d. c. 395 AH / 1005 CE), dedicated to analyzing the distinct meanings of shared vocabulary across the Quran in alignment with Mu'tazilite theological principles .
Purpose and Theological Framework
In the Quranic sciences, al-wujuh wa al-nazair refers to words that share the same verbal form across different contexts in the Quran (al-nazair) while signifying diverse meanings (al-wujuh) .
In his preface, Abu Hilal al-Askari explains that he wrote the treatise after being prompted by an interlocutor who had examined earlier works in the genre and desired a compilation in which Quranic interpretations systematically conformed to the principles of "the people of truth who affirm Divine Unity and Justice" (Ahl al-Haqq min al-qa'ilina bi-al-tawhid wa-al-'adl), the designated tenet of the Mu'tazilah .
Structure and Method
The treatise is organized alphabetically according to the initial letter of each entry, beginning with words starting with the letter alif .
In each entry, Abu Hilal begins by analyzing the foundational etymological meaning of the word in the Arabic language before presenting its scriptural usage . For instance, he derives terms like imam (leader) and ummah (community) from the core root meaning of al-qasd (intent or direction) . He then details each contextual meaning (wajh), citing specific Quranic verses to substantiate every sense along with grammatical explanations and theological commentary .
Transmission and Reception
Abu Hilal al-Askari cites the treatise in his lexical work al-Furuq al-Lughawiyyah (Linguistic Distinctions) . The biographer Ali ibn Yusuf al-Qifti listed the work under the title Kitab al-Nazair . A ninth-century AH manuscript of the text is preserved in Kayseri (Rasid Efendi MS 1066) . The text has also been published in a single printed volume by Maktabat al-Thaqafah al-Diniyyah in Cairo .
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