The Genitive by Adjacent between Grammarians and Exegetes

Abstract

This study explores the views of grammarians and Qur’anic exegetes on al-jarr bil-jawār (the genitive by adjacent), aiming to clarify each one’s attitude regarding this phenomenon. It examines its connection with both linguistics and exegesis, as well as the manner in which each group dealt with it. The study reveals that although the genitive by adjacent has its roots in phonological and morphological studies, it disagrees with the syntactic structure and the meanings implied by case endings. This has led some grammarians to reject it entirely or to regard it as irregular, restricting its use to cases attested by hearing (i.e., transmitted usage). Those who permitted it restricted that ambiguity must be avoided and that it occur only in certain types of syntactic dependents—though its occurrence in practice is very rare. Grammarians who favored it relied on its phonological and morphological basis, often without considering the syntactic and semantic implications. As for the exegetes, most of them rejected it and did not consider it valid, since the meanings of the Qur’an are already explained in other exegetical sources or through linguistically acceptable interpretations consistent with the principles and rules of exegesis. The possibility of its occurrence without semantic overlap is rare, if not entirely excluded.