Semantic Transformation of Ghināʾ and the Reconstruction of Its Juristic Subject:
An Interdisciplinary Study in Historical Semantics and Islamic Legal Theory
The longstanding juristic disagreement over ghināʾ (chanting/singing) in Islamic law has typically been attributed to conflicting textual evidence or methodological divergences in legal theory. Such explanations, however, presuppose the stability of the legal subject across historical contexts. This study challenges that assumption by proposing that part of the disagreement stems from a historical transformation in the semantic network of the term ghināʾ itself. Drawing upon diachronic lexical semantics and semantic field theory (Geeraerts, 2010; Traugott & Dasher, 2002), the article reconstructs the historical semantic network of ghināʾ across four discursive layers: pre-Islamic Arabic literature, Qurʾānic and ḥadīth usage, Abbasid musical culture, and classical juristic texts. By analyzing its collocations with terms such as laḥn (melody), ṭarab (ecstasy), lahw (diversion), gatherings, female performers, and rhythmic structures (īqāʿ), the study demonstrates a semantic shift from a descriptive vocal quality to a culturally value-laden performative act, and eventually to a technical juridical category.
The findings suggest that part of the juristic disagreement arises from reliance on different layers of this evolving semantic network rather than purely textual contradiction. Furthermore, the study argues that equating ghināʾ with the modern concept of “music” without reconstructing its historical referent results in methodological inconsistency. Beyond the specific case of ghināʾ, the article proposes a theoretical model for analyzing semantically evolving legal subjects within Islamic jurisprudence.