Justifying Nomenclature in Imam al-Rāzī's Exegesis Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb: Places and Lands as a Model

Abstract

This study addresses the topic of Naming according to Imam Al-Razi (may Allah have mercy on him) in his exegesis Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb (with places and countries as a model). The research aims to identify the rationales behind names as discussed in Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb، to demonstrate the impact of name explanation on Qur’anic interpretation، and to present examples of place and country names whose etymology Imam Al-Razi elaborated upon in his commentary. The study adopts the inductive-analytical method، and concludes with several findings، the most important of which are: Naming has meaningful dimensions that contribute to the interpretation of Qur’anic verses، as it provides a logical basis for the relationship between a name and its referent، a field in which Imam Al-Razi was particularly active. The naming of an entity may derive from its location، the origin of its substance، what it eventually becomes، its cause، a characteristic، its function or role، its source، or other factors. The rationale behind naming is often found in Arabic linguistic sources and dictionaries، from which exegetes borrowed to clarify certain terms or locations mentioned in the Noble Qur’an.