Al-Ghiṭāʾ (Covering) and Al-Sitr (Concealment) in the Holy Qur’an: A Semantic and Rhetorical Study

The Qur’anic words are the niche from which the lights of divine truths emanate, and they do not stop at the limits of linguistic sound, but rather go beyond it to be formulated in a system whose aims are beyond human comprehension. This study, entitled "The Terms 'covering' and 'concealing' in the Holy Quran: A Semantic Study," delves into this semantic system and unveils its secrets within divine discourse. The study's central problem lies in bridging a research gap, as previous studies focused either on the purely linguistic or the jurisprudential aspects, thus reducing the meanings of 'covering' and 'concealing' to the linguistic dimension alone. Hence arose the pivotal question: How were the connotations of 'covering' and 'concealing' formed in the Holy Quran? The study aimed to elucidate the true meanings of these terms and trace their semantic evolution from sensory to conceptual through the tools of simile, metaphor, metonymy, and synecdoche, while also demonstrating the semantic development that governs the multiple facets of a single term. The study adopted an inductive-analytical approach based on... The study selects verses and approaches them semantically, relying on linguistic dictionaries, books of exegesis, and the science of rhetoric. Its three chapters examine words denoting coverings that are close to the body, such as clothes, and barriers that are like houses. The study then moves to the rhetorical level (moving from literal to figurative meanings through simile, metaphor, metonymy, and synecdoche) to clarify the connotations of the words "covering" and "concealing." The study concludes by exploring the science of synonyms and homonyms related to the words "covering" and "concealing" and their various uses in the Holy Quran. The study's most prominent findings are that "covering" in the Quran expresses physical coverings that are close to the body, such as clothes and garments, while "concealing" transcends this sensory dimension to become a value of honor associated with humankind's role as God's vicegerent on Earth. Furthermore, the study identifies "confusion" and "ambiguity" as negative aspects of intellectual obstruction, while the study also highlights... “Security” is the fruit of purity of heart and truth of faith, and of emerging from the “oppression” of covering up and concealing oneself from the guidance of God Almighty. The study proved that the Qur’anic word is a living part whose meaning is generated from the womb of the verses and their context. Sometimes its meaning is concise and sometimes it expands, to prove that the Holy Qur’an is the word of God Almighty, and no word is above it.