Semantic Analysis of the Term Tamaththul in Sūrat Maryam (peace be upon her)
Keywords:
Tamaththul, Surah Maryam, Manifestation, Imaginal World, Qur’anic SemanticsAbstract
The term tamaththul, derived from the root mathal meaning resemblance and similarity, is used only once in the Noble Qur’an, in verse 17 of Sūrat Maryam. This unique usage, from both semantic and ontological perspectives, conveys a profound concept regarding the mode of manifestation of immaterial realities in a perceptible form. The present study, employing a comparative semantic analysis method, examines the lexical root, morphological structure, and exegetical, philosophical, and mystical dimensions of this term, as well as its points of distinction from related terms such as shabah (likeness), ʿadīl (equivalent), naẓīr (counterpart), and muttafiq (congruent). Furthermore, by analyzing its relationship with concepts such as tajallī (theophany), tajassum (embodiment), tajassud (incarnation), and takhayyul (imagination), the study elucidates the semantic scope of tamaththul in Sūrat Maryam. The findings indicate that tamaththul does not denote material incarnation; rather, it signifies the imaginal manifestation of a non-material reality at the level of human perception—that is, the descent of a truth from the realm of jabarūt or malakūt to the realm of imagination or the imaginal world in order to be comprehensible to human beings. Consequently, tamaththul is a liminal concept that explicates the connection between the unseen realm and the sensory world.
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