Lughat al-Quran

Lughat al-Quran (Urdu: لغات القرآن) is a 20th-century Urdu lexicon of Quranic vocabulary, providing detailed explanations of words, their derivations, and contextual meanings. The work was published in six volumes by Nadwatul Musannifeen in Delhi between 1942 and 1958. The first four volumes were authored by Abdul Rasheed Nomani, while the final two volumes were completed by Abdul Daim al-Jalali, following Nomani's original methodology after his migration to Pakistan. The lexicon is considered an early reference in Urdu, comparable in its role to Al-Mufradat in Arabic.

Lughat al-Quran

1953 cover
Author	Abdul Rasheed Nomani
Original title	لغات القرآن
Language	Urdu
Subject	Tafsir
Published	1942–1958
Publisher	Nadwatul Musannifeen
Publication place	British India
Media type	Print
OCLC	48197196
Dewey Decimal	297.1227

Compilation

In the early 1940s, Abdul Rasheed Nomani identified limitations in existing Urdu works on Quranic vocabulary, noting that they often addressed only selected terms, relied on unreliable citations, emphasized morphological roots that were inaccessible to general readers, or listed references without the corresponding Arabic text.^[1] To provide a more comprehensive resource, he began compiling Lughat al-Quran in early 1942,^[2] with the first volume published the same year by Nadwatul Musannifeen in Delhi, where he was a member.^[1] Nomani authored the first four volumes, and following the partition of India and his migration to Pakistan, the final two volumes were completed by Abdul Daim al-Jalali, who maintained the style and standard of the earlier parts; the last volumes appeared in 1958.^[3][2] The six volumes are arranged alphabetically: Volume I covers Alif (ا), Volume II covers Alif to Kha (ا–خ), Volume III covers Dal to Shin (د–ش), Volume IV covers Sad to Ayn (ص–ع), Volume V covers Ghayn to Mim (غ–م), and Volume VI covers Nun to Ya (ن–ی).^[3] The work has been critically reviewed in magazines such as Maarif and Alfurqan,^[3] and Asir Adrawi observed that no comparable work on the subject had previously been produced in Urdu.^[4] Since the book became popular among Urdu readers, multiple editions have been published in cities such as Lahore and Karachi.^[1] A Bengali translation of the work was published in 2016 in Dhaka, translated by Belayet Husain Laxmipuri.^[5]

Arrangement

The book is arranged alphabetically in Urdu rather than by root derivation or by the sequence of Quranic chapters and verses, with a supporting index of vocabulary.^[6] The work is divided into sections and chapters, and each entry presents a word with its translation, grammatical details, and explanatory notes.^[6] Nouns are given in singular and plural forms, verbs are listed with their grammatical patterns and Quranic paradigms,^[7] and derivations are included where relevant.^[8] The lexicon also contains extended discussions of prophets, other figures, and places mentioned in the Quran, relying on reports regarded as reliable while excluding weak traditions and Israʼiliyyat.^[7] Compound expressions are explained through pronoun references, construct and descriptive forms, and, where needed, morphological or syntactical analysis.^[9] A distinctive feature of the work is its restriction to meanings relevant to Quranic usage,^[7] with each entry indicating where the word occurs in the text, such as by Ruku or Juz'.^[10]

Methodology

Nomani's methodology in this book draws on multiple sources and approaches. He cites Quranic verses to interpret one another, presenting literal meanings first and then figurative ones.^[2] When explanation through the Quran is insufficient, he turns to Prophetic traditions, along with references to the historical contexts of revelation.^[11] Nomani also incorporated the views of early Muslim authorities, including Companions, jurists, and linguists, and at times examined variant Quranic readings, distinguishing between accepted and irregular recitations.^[12] Classical Arabic poetry was used to clarify usage, and attention was given to linguistic analysis, including rare vocabulary, grammatical structures, derivations, and broader Arabic usage.^[13] The lexicon also contains an index of foreign words and, in some cases, addresses interpretations Nomani regarded as mistaken, countering them with Quranic and hadith evidence.^[14] His work was strongly influenced by earlier scholarship, particularly Al-Raghib al-Isfahani's Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran, though he also engaged with figures such as Ibn Qutaybah, Al-Kisa'i, Al-Farra', and Abu Ubaidah, either quoting directly or summarizing their views, and occasionally offering his own differing interpretations.^[2]

Reviews

Abdul Waris Khan noted that, while earlier Urdu works on Quranic vocabulary were limited in scope, Lughat al-Quran provides more comprehensive coverage.^[8] A reviewer in the monthly Alfurqan identified minor errors in the sixth volume, specifically on pages 314 and 316.^[3] Asir Adrawi described the work as largely comprehensive and valuable for readers who study the Quran through Urdu translations and commentaries.^[9] Sardar Ahmed of Federal Urdu University observed its broad acceptance within scholarly and religious circles across the Indian subcontinent.^[15] Muhammad Abdul Malek characterized it as a systematically organized and authoritative resource accessible to students, teachers, and general readers, noting that it also enhanced the reputation of Nadwatul Musannifeen.^[16] MD Arif Kamal of Aligarh Muslim University highlighted the work's distinctiveness in Urdu Quranic studies and its status as a reference text.^[17] Syed Hayat Ullah of Federal Urdu University compared it to Al-Raghib al-Isfahani's Al-Mufradat in Arabic, emphasizing its structured arrangement and layered utility: translations of uncommon words benefit general readers, derivations and explanations assist intermediate learners, and well-authenticated discussions serve scholarly research.^[18] In 2023, three scholars from Federal Urdu University jointly published a detailed critical study of the book's sources and references in the Khair ul Ummah journal.^[19]

See also

• Deobandi Quranic literature