Re‐Visiting the Meaning of ‘ ẓann ’ in the Qurʾān

Abstract

The Qur ʾ ānic term, ‘ ẓ ann ,’ is usually understood and translated as conjecture. However, I argue that the Qur ʾ ān uses ‘ ẓ ann ’ to mean dogmatic zeal or, in other words, being zealous to a certain belief. For conjecture, the Qur ʾ ān uses the root ‘ ḥ - s-b ,’ such as, ‘ aya ḥ sabu .’ Although the Qur ʾ ān may criticize some people’s conjectures, it does not criticize the act of formulating opinions with the root ‘ ḥ - s-b .’ However, the Qur ʾ ān does criticize the act of ‘ ẓ ann .’ This further emphasizes the distinction between conjecture and ‘ ẓ ann ,’ according to the Qur ʾ ān. The main emphasis is that when the Qur ʾ ān requires people to shun most ‘ ẓ ann ,’ it is argued that it is asking to shun zealous beliefs and dogmas, and it is not asking to shun the formulation of conjectures. The method used is philological, in which the cognates are analyzed in their contexts and compared with their uses in the Qur ʾ ān. Defining ‘ ẓ ann ’ as dogmatic zeal rather than conjecture has far-reaching implications in understanding Qur ʾ ānic epistemology and the epistemic process it expects its audience to have.