Understanding of language within the framework of Imam Shafi'i's work Named Al-Umm

In this thesis titled Imam Shafi'i's Understanding of Language within the Framework of Al-Umm, the language related views of Imam Shafi'i are examined. The theory of bayan, presented by Shafi'i in Al-Risala is considered in this study as a method of textual interpretation. During the research, Imam Shafi'i's work Al-Umm was referenced both for understanding and interpreting the theory of bayan and for identifying language-based interpretations in the branches of Islamic jurisprudence. The first part of the study is dedicated to Shafi'i's theory of bayan, as his thoughts on language were shaped within the framework of this concept. One of the most important foundations of the theory of bayan is the Arabic nature of the language of revelation. Shafi'i's characterization of the Qur'an as Arabic implies that the message of revelation is conveyed through styles unique to the Arabic language. According to Shafi'i, the most important of these unique styles is the flexibility of the Arabic language. Shafi'i referred to this flexibility as Ittisa' and used this concept to address the issue of certainty in language. Shafi'i attributed the authority of bayan in resolving language related ambiguities specifically to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). Thus, the solitary report (Khabar Al-Wahid) became the most crucial component of Shafi'i's theory of bayan. In the first part of this research, Shafi'i's theory of bayan is discussed in the context of the Arabic nature of the Qur'an, the possibility of translating the Qur'an, and the phenomenon of Ittisa' in language. The second part of the research addresses the general terms (umum lafz) in Shafi'i's thought and establishes the relationship of this topic with linguistic sciences within the framework of ittisa' and the science of wad' (the science of language establishment). In this way, efforts are made to identify the intersecting problems of the discipline of Usul and linguistic sciences, as well as to trace the influences of Shafi'i's thoughts on the science of wad'. The third and final part of the study discusses various language-related issues attributed to Shafi'i's views. In this way, an attempt is made to clarify Shafi'i's thoughts on these matters through his own explanations.