The Evolution of the Meaning of Qirādah in Surah Al-A’raf, Verse 166

An Analysis based on Noam Chomsky’s Transformational Linguistic Theory)

Abstract

The development of the meaning of words in the text of the Qur'an is often influenced by the social context, history, and the methodology of interpretation used. One of the words that have a broader meaning is the word qirādah (كِرَادَةٌ) found in QS. Al-A'raf verse 166. The meaning of qirādah is often understood literally as "monkey", but this understanding does not cover all dimensions of meaning contained in the text. The external meaning contained in the word qirādah (monkey) has an oddity regarding the changes that occurred in the children of Israel. This is because there are no historical facts that prove this statement. For this reason, this study attempts to reveal the deep meaning of the word qirādah through linguistic theory initiated by Noam Chomsky. This study uses a descriptive analysis method using the transformative linguistic theory initiated by Noam Chomsky as its analytical tool, namely between deep structure and surface structure in language. This theory will be applied to analyze how the meaning of qirādah can develop in the context of QS. Al-A'raf 166, by paying attention to changes in the language structure in the text. The theoretical steps include analysis of sentence structure and transformation of meaning that occurs in understanding the text, both from a linguistic and theological perspective. This study shows that with a transformative linguistic approach, the meaning of qirādah is not only limited to physical punishment in the form of changing into an ape, but can also be understood as a symbol of deeper moral, natural, and social change.