Significance of alef in بِاسمِ
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Salam brother, this needs work. Millat traditional account says this words root is Miim-Lam-Lam. It could be Miim-Lam-Ta.
However, both roots do not even have a meanings that come close to meaning of Religion, Deen, Creed, People etc.
Please look up both roots in Lane.
Salamun Alaika brother.
This is what I get in Lane for millat (ٌ
A religion; (S, Msb, K a way of belief and practice in respect of religion. (T, &c.) -b2- See 8.
An Arabic-English Lexicon. London. Williams and Norgate. 1863.(Ref http//www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text;jsessionid=DC225345F50768B34BFE479A2D3BE695?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2002.02.0046%3Aroot%3Dml%3Aentry%3Dmil%7EapN)
If you are referring to some other entry kindly quote.
If you (or anyone for that matter) can prove or show that the traditional interpretation of a specific word or term in Qur'an is different from what the literal meaning of the word is supposed to be, or what the root of the word suggest - as per the usage in Arabic language, I am 100% open to listen and consider. So, please bring on your evidences and enlighten us.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
Arman -
Salam Brother, it seems like you are intrested in learning and not here to defend held belief.
There is a method to study Lane, which he has described well in preface.
This root Miim-Lam-Lam happens to be in suppliment which was compiled by his Nephew Stanley Poole after his death. Hence, is not as comprehensive as the portion compiled by Lane himself.
He starts of with most common and accepted root meanings first, then goes on to give all meanings. Please remember Quran was written first with out any lexicons. The lexicons were completed until after the current translation Quran was already done and which is accepted by default as real Quran. Therefore, most meanings used in current translation are there in the lexicon.
Here is the first page from Lane for this root followed by next and final. Do you find any meanings coming close to Religion etc in the begining?
http//www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000276.pdf
http//www.studyquran.org/LaneLexicon/Volume8/00000277.pdfRegards
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Salam brother - and thanks for the excerpts from Lane.
I believe you are refering to the following meanings
Mallah-He put it (namely bread, or fleshmeat,) into hot ashes, .
OR, He sewed, or tacked, the garment, or piece of cloth, previously to the sewing.
Maliltu-I was averse from it; loathed it; was disgusted by it, with it, or at it; turned away from it with disgust.I agree that these meanings do not seem to be connected to "Millat = religion", but none of these meanings remotely fits the usage of the term "Millat" in Qur'an. Some examples given below
2120 Neither the yahud (i.e. repenters) nor the nasara (i.e. helpers) will ever be satisfied with you until you follow their religion (millatahum). Say, ?Indeed it is the guidance of Allah is the guidance.? But if you follow their fancies after which has come to you of the knowledge - there will be no guardian for you against Allah, nor (any) helper.
... ...
2130 And who will opt out of the religion (millati) of Abraham except who fools his (own) soul? And certainly We have chosen him in the world and indeed, in the hereafter, he is surely amongst the (ones acting) appropriately.
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6161 Say, ?Indeed me ? my Master has guided me to a straight route ? an established resolution (deenan) ? the religion (millati) of Abraham, the precise ? and he did not happen to be among the ones associating partners (with Allah).?
(My personal translations, cross-checking is recommended)
Different words coming from the same root having totally different meaning is not at all uncommon in Arabic. So, unless someone comes up with a hypothesis why some other root meaing of the term "millat" is preferable over "religion" for understanding the Qur'an - I am going with the meaning of "religion". But good-luck with your research. I'll be curious to see what you eventually come up with.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Best regards,
Arman -
Salam Arman-
I'm curious whether this is also the case within the Quran?
Salamun Alaikum.
Yes, I believe it is. Take for example the root ayn jm lm. Most of the words coming from this root mean "to hasten or to hurry" - with the exception of the word ij'l (ل which means "calf".
ref http//corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Ejl#(251
There should be numerous other examples - I'm just citing one which is coming off my head.
May Allah guide us all to the straight route.
Regards,
Arman -
Arman - thanks for the example.
It seems (at least in this example) that the part of speech is very relevant. For the derived words meaning "calf", the spelling in each case is exclusive (i.e. for each spelling, the part of speech is noun only, and the meaning is "calf" only).
I'm wondering whether there are words in the Quran where the meaning is different for the same spelling/part of speech...?
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Arman - thanks for the example.
It seems (at least in this example) that the part of speech is very relevant. For the derived words meaning "calf", the spelling in each case is exclusive (i.e. for each spelling, the part of speech is noun only, and the meaning is "calf" only).
I'm wondering whether there are words in the Quran where the meaning is different for the same spelling/part of speech...?
In the specific example the term ajal (ل is also a noun (same part of speech) and spelling is also similar ignoring the pronounciation marks.
However, the original question was whether all the words from same root must share similar meaning. We were specifically looking at the word "Millat" - and it was argued that the meaning of other words of same root (e.g. mallah, maliltu) having a different meaning, it is unlikely that millat would mean "religion". To establish such a hypothesis we need to show that all words derived from the same root - irrespective of spelling - must share similar meanings.
Your question "whether there are words in the Quran where the meaning is different for the same spelling/part of speech...?" is a totally different/new question. Per my understanding the answer is also "yes". For example, the word aqqan (ا can mean either an Obligation or Truth.
Ref http//corpus.quran.com/qurandictionary.jsp?q=Hqq
Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Arman -
Arman - thanks again.
Your question "whether there are words in the Quran where the meaning is different for the same spelling/part of speech...?" is a totally different/new question.
He he... sorry I did not articulate that I was asking a new/ tangent question... we're so offtopic from "Significance of alef in " that I just went with the flow )