Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya Part V — Page 508
508 BARĀHIN-E-AHMADIYYA - PART FIVE die a natural death. I have already said that a peerless Imām of the Arabic language, against whom no one has room for argument, namely 'Allāmah Zamakhsharī,¹ similarly interprets the verse إني متوفيك ]inni mutawaffika[ as إِنِّي مُمِيْتُكَ حَتْفَ أَنْفِكَ ]O Isa, I will cause you to die a natural death'[. 1☆ The word حتف means death' in the Arabic lexicon while the word انف means 'nose, and it has been a long-standing belief among the Arabs that a person's soul leaves through the nose. This is why they termed natural death as حتف انف . In the Arabic language, the proper use of the word تونی ]tawaffi] is to connote natural death, whereas when someone dies by being killed the word [qatl] is employed. This usage is not hidden from anyone who knows Arabic. Of course, it is a common rule among Arabs that a word that is meant for a specific occasion in its original form, is applied in a dif- ferent sense after establishing the context-that is, its application is widened. But when such a different context does not exist, then it is necessary that the word should be used in its original sense. Hence when 'Allamah Zamakhsharī, with reference to the verse إِنِّي مُتَوَفِّيكَ writes 2إنّى متوفيك حتف انفك i. e. Isā, I will cause you to die a natural death, the 'Allamah has not merely considered the original use of the word تونی tawaffi]; rather, by considering the verse ما قتلوه يقينا,and the verse ما قتلوه وما صلبوهhe determined that the context required that the word متوفيك mutawaffika-'will cause you to die a natural death'] must necessarily be used in its original meaning. That is, in this context it 1. Let it be clear that I have named Zamakhsharī as 'Allāmah and Imām only on account of his command over the linguistic art. There is no doubt that this person had great mastery over Arabic dialects, including their usage, content, literary and non-literary usage, eloquent and colloquial expressions, and the differences between synonyms. Also, he was well-versed in their character- istics, structures, old and new words, rule of syntax, and eloquence. He was the Imam and 'Allamah of the time in all the above, and not in anything else. (Author) 2. Scribe's error. The word متوفيك should be مميتك . ]Publisher[ 3. Sūrah an-Nisā', 4:158. [Publisher]