Isharat Al-Nass Literal Origin, Definitions And Rationale

Abstract

The Qur’ān deals with human life, its needs, its nature, its
problems and their solutions (21:10). That is why Muslim scholars in
the field of tafsīr and fiqh right after the time of the last
Prophet (s.a.w.) interpreted the Qur’ān by using certain
methodologies that led to the emergence of principles to derive
messages from the Qur’ān. Ḥanafī jurists have classified the most
widely used principles of interpreting the Qur’anic text into four
categories: (1) Ibārat al-Naṣṣ, (2) Dalālat al-Naṣṣ, (3) Iqtadā’ alNaṣṣ and (4) Ishārat al-Naṣṣ. Shāfi‘ī jurists developed similar
principles of Interpreting the Qur’ān but they named them alManṭūq and al-Mafhūm. They discuss ‘ibārat al-naṣṣ, iqtadā’ al-naṣṣ
and ishārat al-naṣṣ under the title of al-Manṭūq. This article deals
with literal meanings, definitions and rationale of Ishārat al-Naṣṣ.