criticism and analysis of wim raven’’’’s viewpoint on the semantics of the word shahīd in the qur'an

Due to the important status of martyrdom in the context of islam and muslim thoughts, especially shiites, some orientalists such as wim raven have sought to write works in this field. throughout an article published as martyr in the encyclopedia of the qur’’an, raven has explored the meaning of martyrdom and its genealogy, using the books and articles by other western scholars, especially goldziher and wensinck. according to them, he believes that martyr in the qur’’an means witness and hearer of confession, and that reference of the term to the concept of being killed in the path of allah is the result of a semantic transformation that occurs in the old testament and the use of shahīd in the sense of martyr owes to hadith literature. orientalists believe that the term shahīd in the sense of martyr is a loan and postqur’’anic word whose root is derived from the syriac origin of sahda. in the present article, with a descriptiveanalytical approach, after examining raven’’s semantics discussions and outlining his viewpoints and sources, we have considered the semantics of martyrs in lexical and islamic books and then analyzed orientalists’’ viewpoints in this regard. according to the historical analysis of the usage of the word shahīd in the sense of the killed, its application is traced back to the outward contiguity of the concept of the killed with the basic meaning of the word shahīd (witness and presence). that is to say, due to the adjacency of the presence some of the killed on the battlefield and their practical witness to the faith of god and the prophet, the concept of being killed is linked to the presence, and gradually, this contiguity has led to the independent usage of the word shahīd in the sense of the killed.

Criticism and analysis of Wim Raven’’’’s viewpoint on the semantics of the word shahīd in The Qur’’’’an

Due to the important status of martyrdom in the context of Islam and Muslim thoughts, especially Shiites, some orientalists such as Wim Raven have sought to write works in this field. Throughout an article published as Martyr in the Encyclopedia of the Qur’’an, Raven has explored the meaning of martyrdom and its genealogy, using the books and articles by other western scholars, especially Goldziher and Wensinck. According to them, he believes that martyr in The Qur’’an means witness and hearer of confession, and that reference of the term to the concept of being killed in the path of Allah is the result of a semantic transformation that occurs in the Old Testament and the use of shahīd in the sense of martyr owes to hadith literature. Orientalists believe that the term shahīd in the sense of martyr is a loan and postQur’’anic word whose root is derived from the Syriac origin of Sahda. In the present article, with a descriptiveanalytical approach, after examining Raven’’s semantics discussions and outlining his viewpoints and sources, we have considered the semantics of martyrs in lexical and Islamic books and then analyzed Orientalists’’ viewpoints in this regard. According to the historical analysis of the usage of the word shahīd in the sense of the killed, its application is traced back to the outward contiguity of the concept of the killed with the basic meaning of the word shahīd (witness and presence). That is to say, due to the adjacency of the presence some of the killed on the battlefield and their practical witness to the faith of God and the Prophet, the concept of being killed is linked to the presence, and gradually, this contiguity has led to the independent usage of the word shahīd in the sense of the killed.