Literal and Figurative Usage and their Effect on Deriving the Objectives of the Law: A Study of the Qur'anic Verses on Governance (Siyasa Shar'iyya)

Alaa Hamad Jasim Ahmed

doi:10.61132/hidayah.v3i3.2520

Authors

Alaa Hamad Jasim Ahmed Tikrit University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61132/hidayah.v3i3.2520

Keywords:

Governance In Islamic Law, Literal And Figurative Usage, Military Preparation, Objectives Of Islamic Law, The Pledge Of Allegiance

Abstract

This study examines the effect of literal and figurative usage (haqiqa and majaz) on deriving the objectives of Islamic law from Qur’anic verses concerning governance, including authority, obedience, allegiance, military preparation, warfare, and communal interests. The study begins by discussing literal and figurative usage, their classifications, and relevant legal-theoretical principles, followed by an explanation of the objectives of Islamic law and the scope of governance-related verses. It then applies a five-step analytical procedure to five key verses: Q. 4:59 on those in authority, Q. 48:10 on allegiance, Q. 8:60 on preparation, Q. 2:195 on self-destruction, and Q. 2:193 on fitna. Each verse is examined through philological commentaries, legal theory, and the derivation of its corresponding legal objective and governance implications. The findings demonstrate that figurative usage is not merely rhetorical but contributes substantively to legal interpretation. The extended meaning of amr establishes authority subject to higher principles, while the figurative meaning of the divine hand sanctifies political allegiance. The literal breadth of quwwa encompasses changing instruments of preparation. Figurative interpretations of destruction and fitna broaden objectives toward preserving political order and removing causes of conflict. Three principles emerge: literal meaning is presumed, figurative interpretation requires contextual evidence, and figuratively derived objectives require greater contextual discipline.

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