Al-Ālūsī and Qur’anic Bayān: Employing Arabic Rhetorical Science in Interpreting Qur’anic Meaning: A Case Study of Verses 1 and 70 of Sūrat al-Mā’idah

This study examines the linguistic methodology employed by Imām al-Ālūsī in interpreting Qur’anic meaning, with a focus on verses 1 and 70 of Sūrat al-Mā’idah. Verse 1 addresses the concept of exception (istithnā’), while verse 70 involves conditional sentence structure. Drawing on al-Ālūsī’s Rūḥ al-Maʿānī, the study highlights his reliance on classical Arabic grammarians and exegetes and his preference for interpretations that best align with Qur’anic context and rhetorical style. Employing both analytical and comparative methodologies, the research uncovers semantic and syntactic nuances and examines the diversity of scholarly views from linguistic and exegetical traditions. Findings show that interpretive disagreements often arise from the polysemous nature of Arabic and the flexibility of its syntactic structures, which allow for variation without disrupting textual coherence. The study affirms al-Ālūsī’s interpretive choices in both verses, as he carefully evaluated existing opinions and selected readings most consistent with the broader textual context. His approach reflects a deep, text-internal reading that offers a distinctive and linguistically grounded exegetical vision.