✦ Modern Linguistic Theories and the Meaning of Divine Texts ✦
In recent decades, modern linguistic theories, largely influenced by postmodern philosophy, have questioned the stability and universality of meaning. According to these theories, the meaning of words is not fixed, but rather shaped by social context, psychological states, and individual interpretation.
This has led some scholars to challenge the authority and clarity of divine scriptures, arguing that if meaning is fluid, then so are the concepts of halal and haram, and good and evil in religion.
A recent column titled "Modern Critiques of Religion" circulated on social media raised such “fundamental questions,” implying that defending religious knowledge within philosophical frameworks is nearly impossible. The author also claimed that Eastern scholars are largely unfamiliar with these complex Western debates — a claim that holds partial truth.
Merely attempting to answer philosophical doubts using the same flawed assumptions often leads to intellectual defeat.
Imam al-Ghazālī رحمه الله recognized this early and critiqued the foundational axioms of philosophy, rejecting them as baseless.
He warned that evaluating divine revelation under the authority of philosophy — as done by the Muʿtazilah — is a deviation from truth.
Philosophers often reduce the complexity of human existence to one dominant factor:
Linguistic theories also split into two extremes regarding human nature:
Martin Heidegger, a major 20th-century philosopher, asserted that:
"Man is not tied to a fixed truth but constantly in a state of becoming."
For Heidegger, freedom is the ability to choose anything — but committing to anything limits that freedom, reducing it to nothingness.
✔ The more freedom increases, the more loneliness deepens
✔ Loneliness then breeds anxiety and existential despair
✔ This leads to deprivation, rage, and indulgence
Such thought disconnects humans from their true purpose, plunging them into uncertainty and restlessness.
According to Islam, the essence of human identity is servitude (ʿubūdiyyah).
Turning away from this essence leads to guilt, anxiety, and spiritual unrest.
✔ Islam has always been a single, consistent religion, and the Qur’an identifies itself as "dhikr" — a reminder of eternal truths.
✔ The core principles of Islam have always remained definitive.
✔ The Sahabah understood the Qur’an exactly as Muslims do today.
✔ For over 1400 years, Salah has been performed consistently, without any fundamental change.
Had meanings been relative or unstable, this historical continuity would not have been possible.
To truly grasp divine meanings, the soul (nafs) must be nurtured and reformed, not liberated into subjectivity.
① Correction of Intention:
A purified intention leads to tranquility and divine guidance.
② Following the Sunnah:
Even in minor actions, adhering to the Prophet’s ﷺ Sunnah brings inner discipline and clarity.
③ Recognition of One’s True Position:
Accepting servitude (ʿubūdiyyah) and being content with Allah’s command brings peace.
④ Objective Outlook:
Perceiving truth through divine revelation, not personal desires, guards against delusion.
The linguistic deconstruction of divine texts stems from a faulty view of the human self — that man is a shapeless, ever-changing being with no stable essence.
In reality, human interactions, history, and divine revelation prove otherwise:
Man has a stable nature (fiṭrah) and is capable of understanding and living by divine meanings.
Heidegger’s philosophy reflects the state of a soul cut off from its Lord, wandering in purposeless freedom.
Such a soul is not a measure for truth, but in desperate need of reformation.
✔ Modern linguistic theories, rooted in postmodern skepticism, cannot undermine the clarity and universality of divine texts.
✔ The Qur’an is not bound by human limitations of language, because its meanings are preserved, and its guidance is objective, stable, and accessible to the purified soul.
✔ May Allah grant us understanding of the truth and the ability to act upon it. آمین
❖ Introduction: Language, Meaning, and Revelation
In recent decades, modern linguistic theories, largely influenced by postmodern philosophy, have questioned the stability and universality of meaning. According to these theories, the meaning of words is not fixed, but rather shaped by social context, psychological states, and individual interpretation.
This has led some scholars to challenge the authority and clarity of divine scriptures, arguing that if meaning is fluid, then so are the concepts of halal and haram, and good and evil in religion.
✦ Modern Philosophy’s Impact on Religion
A recent column titled "Modern Critiques of Religion" circulated on social media raised such “fundamental questions,” implying that defending religious knowledge within philosophical frameworks is nearly impossible. The author also claimed that Eastern scholars are largely unfamiliar with these complex Western debates — a claim that holds partial truth.
✦ Addressing the Problem Within the Philosophical Framework
Merely attempting to answer philosophical doubts using the same flawed assumptions often leads to intellectual defeat.
Imam al-Ghazālī رحمه الله recognized this early and critiqued the foundational axioms of philosophy, rejecting them as baseless.
He warned that evaluating divine revelation under the authority of philosophy — as done by the Muʿtazilah — is a deviation from truth.
✦ The Crisis of Meaning and Human Nature
Philosophers often reduce the complexity of human existence to one dominant factor:
- Nietzsche: Power
- Marx: Economics
- Freud: Sexual instinct
Linguistic theories also split into two extremes regarding human nature:
- Essentialism: Human self is fixed and definable
- Existentialism: Human self is fluid and ever-changing
✦ Heidegger’s View of Freedom
Martin Heidegger, a major 20th-century philosopher, asserted that:
"Man is not tied to a fixed truth but constantly in a state of becoming."
For Heidegger, freedom is the ability to choose anything — but committing to anything limits that freedom, reducing it to nothingness.
Consequences:
✔ The more freedom increases, the more loneliness deepens
✔ Loneliness then breeds anxiety and existential despair
✔ This leads to deprivation, rage, and indulgence
Such thought disconnects humans from their true purpose, plunging them into uncertainty and restlessness.
✦ Islamic Perspective: Servitude and Human Reality
According to Islam, the essence of human identity is servitude (ʿubūdiyyah).
Turning away from this essence leads to guilt, anxiety, and spiritual unrest.
✔ Islam has always been a single, consistent religion, and the Qur’an identifies itself as "dhikr" — a reminder of eternal truths.
✦ Are Divine Texts Subject to Interpretive Instability?
✔ The core principles of Islam have always remained definitive.
✔ The Sahabah understood the Qur’an exactly as Muslims do today.
✔ For over 1400 years, Salah has been performed consistently, without any fundamental change.
Had meanings been relative or unstable, this historical continuity would not have been possible.
✦ The Islamic Method of Self-Development and Understanding Meaning
To truly grasp divine meanings, the soul (nafs) must be nurtured and reformed, not liberated into subjectivity.
Four Foundational Principles:
① Correction of Intention:
A purified intention leads to tranquility and divine guidance.
② Following the Sunnah:
Even in minor actions, adhering to the Prophet’s ﷺ Sunnah brings inner discipline and clarity.
③ Recognition of One’s True Position:
Accepting servitude (ʿubūdiyyah) and being content with Allah’s command brings peace.
④ Objective Outlook:
Perceiving truth through divine revelation, not personal desires, guards against delusion.
✦ The Real Issue with Modern Linguistic Philosophy
The linguistic deconstruction of divine texts stems from a faulty view of the human self — that man is a shapeless, ever-changing being with no stable essence.
In reality, human interactions, history, and divine revelation prove otherwise:
Man has a stable nature (fiṭrah) and is capable of understanding and living by divine meanings.
✦ Heidegger’s Crisis: A Soul Disconnected from Its Creator
Heidegger’s philosophy reflects the state of a soul cut off from its Lord, wandering in purposeless freedom.
Such a soul is not a measure for truth, but in desperate need of reformation.
✦ Conclusion
✔ Modern linguistic theories, rooted in postmodern skepticism, cannot undermine the clarity and universality of divine texts.
✔ The Qur’an is not bound by human limitations of language, because its meanings are preserved, and its guidance is objective, stable, and accessible to the purified soul.
✔ May Allah grant us understanding of the truth and the ability to act upon it. آمین
