Al-Mu'jam al-Ishtiqaqi al-Mu'assal li-Alfaz al-Quran al-Karim (One Volume) المعجم الاشتقاقي المؤصل لالفاظ القران الكريم

Al-Mu’jam al-Ishtiqaqi al-Mu’assal li-Alfaz al-Quran al-Karim (The Root-Based Etymological Dictionary of the Words of the Noble Quran) is a monumental, pioneering work in the field of Quranic linguistics and Arabic lexicography.

Authored by the late Egyptian linguist Dr. Muhammad Hasan Hasan Jabal (d. 1436 AH / 2015 CE), a distinguished professor of linguistics at Al-Azhar University, this dictionary is widely considered by modern scholars to be one of the most important linguistic studies of the Quran produced in the modern era.

The Core Objective of the Book

The primary aim of this dictionary is to identify the original, foundational meaning (the semantic root-core) of every Arabic root-word used in the Quran and demonstrate how all subsequent metaphorical, secondary, and contextual usages in the Quran derive logically and organically from that single, fundamental root meaning.

While classical Arabic dictionaries like Lisan al-Arab or Al-Qamus al-Muhit list all various meanings of a word without necessarily explaining the evolutionary link between them, Dr. Muhammad Hasan Jabal’s work is uniquely focused on etymological rooting (Ta’seel) and derivation (Ishtiqaq).

Methodology and Key Features

Dr. Jabal spent decades developing the methodology for this dictionary, which is characterized by several academic pillars:

• Identifying the Primary Semantic Core (Al-Ma’na al-Mehwari): For every Arabic root (such as k-t-b, 'a-l-m, or j-n-n), the author analyzes the classical linguistic evidence to isolate its one true, foundational meaning. He argues that every Arabic root has a single, core sensory or conceptual origin.

• Tracing Semantic Trajectories: He shows how the various derivative words used in the Quran—whether nouns, verbs, or particles—sprout from this core root meaning. He illustrates how the word’s meaning shifted from its concrete, sensory origin to more abstract, theological, or spiritual meanings in the Quranic text.

• Integration of Quranic Context (Al-Siyaq al-Qur’ani): Unlike a general dictionary, this work is specifically tailored to the Quran. The author examines how these rooted meanings interact with the subtle theological, rhetorical, and stylistic contexts of the verses.

Defense of the Arabic Language and Quranic Inimitability (I’jaz): By proving that Quranic vocabulary relies on incredibly precise, systematic root-meanings, the book serves as a powerful defense against orientalist critiques and modern theories that claim certain Quranic words are arbitrarily chosen, borrowed without systematic adaptation, or lack coherent internal Arabic etymologies.

The Author: Dr. Muhammad Hasan Hasan Jabal

Dr. Jabal was a master linguist who occupied a prominent chair in the Arabic Language department at Al-Azhar University (Mansoura branch). He was deeply respected for his defense of the Arabic language and his classicist academic rigor combined with modern linguistic insights. His work on this dictionary earned him widespread acclaim, and it is frequently referenced in modern academic papers, master’s theses, and doctoral dissertations on Quranic exegesis (Tafsir) and linguistic I’jaz (inimitability).

Structure of the Book 

The dictionary is meticulously organized alphabetically according to the three-letter (triliteral) or four-letter (quadriliteral) Arabic roots. Under each root entry, the reader finds:

1. The linguistic root (e.g., s-l-m).

2. The central, foundational meaning as deduced by the author.

3. The various derivatives of this root as they appear in the Quran.

4. Precise linguistic commentary on how each derivative aligns with the central root meaning.