What counts as a meaning? Amr in the Qur’an and the interpretation of al-Wujūh wa-l-Naẓāʾir

Abstract

Exegetical classifications of Qur’anic vocabulary often place lexical senses alongside particular events, moral evaluations, and theological explanations. This article examines the consequences of that practice through the root ʾ-m-r, with particular attention to Ibn al-Jawzī’s treatment of amr in Nuzhat al-aʿyun al-nawāẓir. A complete occurrence concordance, checked against the Qur’anic Arabic Corpus, records 248 tokens in 226 verses across 61 surahs. Philological comparison relates their grammatical forms and recurrent constructions to explanations in selected lexical, exegetical, and theological works. The analysis distinguishes directive and matter-related uses without forcing every derivative into an exhaustive binary classification. Several reported “faces” identify what a divine determination brings about, rather than an additional lexical sense, while disputed passages reveal the contribution of theological reasoning to semantic decisions. Recurrent wording provides valuable constraints but does not remove the need to identify agency: in two of the twelve occurrences of bi-amrihi, the possessive refers to Solomon, although divine action enables his authority. The article argues that al-wujūh wa-l-naẓāʾir is best approached as an explanatory practice whose entries operate at different levels. A layered account preserves its contextual knowledge while distinguishing lexical possibility, referential identification, and theological interpretation. This contributes to religious studies by clarifying how statements about scriptural language become arguments about divine action, obligation, and human authority.