Articles |
Quranic Furq
n*
The Oriental Institute, The University of Chicago
The article proposes a new etymology of the word ‘furqan’ in the Qur'
n, arguing that in some cases it is derived from the Aramaic/Syriac word ‘purqana’, ‘salvation’, as long assumed by many Western scholars, while in some other cases it goes back to the Syriac ‘puqdana’, ‘commandment’. The implication is that some passages of the Qur'n text must have been transmitted, at some point, only in written form without the benefit of a secure tradition of oral recitation, otherwise the misreading of Syriac ‘puqdana’ as ‘furqan’ could not have occurred.
* The author is indebted to many colleagues who over several years read drafts, made helpful comments, and helped him with Syriac and Aramaic materials, in particular Michael Wise, Gabriel Said Reynolds, Shari Lowin, Stuart Creason, and the anonymous JSS reviewer. They can, of course, in no way be held responsible for the ideas expressed here.