Semantic Shift Beyond Lexical Origins: A Normative Approach in al-Fayūmī’s Fatḥ al-Qarīb al-Mujīb

This study investigates the phenomenon of semantic specification in al-Fayūmī’s (d. 870 AH) exegetical treatment of prophetic hadith vocabulary in Fatḥ al-Qarīb al-Mujīb. It sheds light on a dimension that has received limited scholarly attention within the domains of lexicography and semantics—namely, al-Fayūmī’s interpretive methodology in moving lexical meanings toward context-specific, legally and ethically governed significations. The research analyses a selected sample of morally and legally charged terms—such as ḥaṣūr, fusūq, shuḥḥ, and ghulūl—to uncover the mechanisms al-Fayūmī employs in semantic redirection. These include contextual reasoning, interpretive citation of transmitted reports, and comparative analysis between dictionary definitions and pragmatic usage. Employing a normative framework, supplemented by tools from pragmatic analysis, the study explores the dynamism of meaning and the interplay between linguistic structure and legislative context. The findings reveal that al-Fayūmī treats words as dynamic entities, reshaped within the prophetic discourse to align with its ethical and legal objectives. This approach fills a critical research gap by bridging classical lexicography with pragmatic hermeneutics, positioning al-Fayūmī’s work as a foundational model for understanding semantic evolution within Islamic epistemological traditions.