Quran studies (3)

Welcome todays lecture will consider the Quran culminating in the third part of this series. The topic of todays discussion will concern quranic words for “communication.”

The two main forms are:

• Hadith
• Kalam

The “hadith” form is often used in rhetorical questions like:

• “Do they have a hadith from which they learn?”

The “kalam” form is in the more general arabic world also understood as “word.” In the realm of the Quran:

• “Wa roosoolan qad qasasnahum ‘alayka min qablu wa roosoolan lam naqsooshoom ‘alayka wa kalama Allahu moosa takleemaan”¹

Actually the root “kaaf laam meem” is found two times in this: “‘alayka wa kalama Allahu moosa takleemaan.” First it refers to the speech act of Allah subhanahu wa ta’ala and second it refers to the conversation between Allah and Moosa alaihi wa salaam.

1. Q 4:164 ↩︎