Ibn Barrajān on Disjointed Letters (al-ḥurūf al-muqaṭṭa‘a) in the Qur’ān; a New Perspective and Interpretation

Abstract

Disjointed Letters at the beginning of some chapters of the Qur’ān have historically been one of mystery and of concern to the researchers and the commentators of the Qur’ān. One of the early Islamic mystics who has offered a new and idiosyncratic perspective and interpretation of the disjointed letters is Ibn Barrajān (d. 536/1141), the Andalusian mystic and exegete. The purpose of the present article is the study of Ibn Barrajān’s view of disjointed letters using a library based descriptive-analytic method. Referring to the verses of the Qur’ān, Ibn Barrajān understands the universal nature of the disjointed letters as a medium between the Clear Book (al-kitāb al-mubīn) and the Qur’ān. According to Ibn Barrajān, disjointed letters are foremost the revealed and detailed form of the letters and content of the Clear Book. Disjointed letters he continues have also been revealed and expanded in the form of Divine Names; whilst the exigencies of Divine Names are revealed, expanded and expressed in the form of the creatures in the world, as well as the verses of the Qur’ān. Ibn Barrajān believes that the disjointed letters refer to Divine Names and Attributes. Ibn Barrajān’s view of the disjointed letters in the Qur’ān is based on his perspective of the hierarchy of Divine Revelation and its descent. There are fundamental differences between Ibn Barrajān’s perspective on the subject to that of early Islamic scholars and Qur’ānic commentators (such as Abū Fākhti (d. 127/748), ‘Ayn al-Quḍāt (d. 525/1131), Avicenna (d. 428/1037) and Mullā Ṣadrā (d. 1050/1640)) despite their superficial similarities.