المشترك اللفظي في التفسير المنهجي للقرآن العظيم

Abstract

     This chapter addresses the phenomenon of lexical ambiguity (polysemy) as a central semantic issue in Arabic and Qur’anic studies. It refers to a single word that carries multiple meanings depending on the context. Scholars have debated its existence—some affirm it as a natural linguistic feature, while others deny it due to potential ambiguity. However, the majority of linguists and exegetes recognize it and emphasize context as the decisive factor in determining the intended meaning. Dr. Muhammad Hussein Al-Sagheer, in his methodological interpretation of the Qur’an, analyzes several Qur’anic examples—such as “mawla” (protector/master), “udhun” (ear/permission), “ʿayn” (eye/spring), “zalla” (slip/error), and “yad”

 (hand/power)—demonstrating how their meanings shift according to context. He asserts that lexical ambiguity is not a flaw in Qur’anic expression but rather a rhetorical richness that reflects the depth and precision of Qur’anic language, requiring careful contextual and linguistic analysis for accurate interpretation.