‘Killing’ in the Qur'anic Text: A Study on the Discourse of the Imperative

ISSN： 1755-1730

Source： Journal of Qur’anic Studies, Vol.10, Iss.2, 2008-10, pp. : 178-207

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Abstract

This article surveys the textual, lexical and hermeneutical aspects of ‘killing’ in the Qur'an in the context of the discourse of the imperative, considered to be of paramount importance in the fields of ʿilm al-maʿānī wa'l-balāgha and Islamic jurisprudence. To this end the study adopts three different analytical paradigms. It first utilises a textual approach to survey occurrences of the verb q-t-l in the Qur'an in the context of the imperative. Then a lexical and pragmatic paradigm is applied in order to cast light on the meanings of ‘killing’. The third approach taken is hermeneutic, examining the works of mufassirūn and their analyses and interpretations of the verb, again in the context of the discourse of the imperative. These approaches are also informed by the concepts and tools of modern linguistics.