Three ways to point: A word does not contain its meaning — it points to it. But it can point in three different ways, and knowing which way is essential for reading the Quran and Hadith correctly.
Dilalah, and exact correspondence: Dilalah is the relationship between a Lafz (word) and the Ma'na (meaning) it points to. Dilalah al-Mutabaqah is exact correspondence: the word indicates its complete meaning, nothing more and nothing less — "Insan" (human) means "rational animal", the whole meaning exactly.
Mutabaqah first, then Tadammun: This is the primary and most direct form, and it is what we normally mean when we say a word "means" something. Dilalah al-Tadammun is partial containment: the word indicates part of its meaning, because the whole meaning contains this part within it — "Insan" can also indicate just "animal" or just "rational", each a part of the whole.
Necessary accompaniment — Iltizam: Dilalah al-Iltizam is necessary accompaniment: the word indicates something outside its meaning but necessarily connected to it — "human" indicates "capable of laughter", which is not part of the definition of human, but always follows from being human; "fire" indicates "heat", which is not the definition of fire, but necessarily accompanies it.
Example
Quran 17:23, by Mutabaqah: The Quran says "do not say Uff to your parents" (17:23). By Mutabaqah it forbids saying "Uff".
By Iltizam and Tadammun, in Fiqh: By Iltizam it also forbids hitting them — because hitting necessarily accompanies and exceeds the disrespect of saying "Uff". In Fiqh this matters: when the Quran says "do not eat the flesh of pigs", Tadammun covers organs, fat, and blood, because they are contained within the animal.
Key Terms
- Dilalah (الدلالة) — indication/signification
- Mutabaqah (المطابقة) — exact correspondence
- Tadammun (التضمن) — partial containment
- Iltizam (الالتزام) — necessary accompaniment
Quran or Hadith
Quran 17:23, as shown: the prohibition of "Uff" also forbids hitting parents, by Iltizam. — to be checked.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: Three arrows diagram: a word pointing (a) exactly at its full meaning, (b) at a part inside the meaning, (c) at something outside but attached to the meaning. To be drawn in Project Desk colours.
- A word does not contain its meaning — it points to it, in three different ways: Mutabaqah, Tadammun, and Iltizam.
- The Quran says "do not say Uff to your parents" (17:23). By Mutabaqah it forbids saying "Uff". By Iltizam it also forbids hitting them — because hitting necessarily accompanies and exceeds the disrespect of saying "Uff".