A Research Study of the Meanings and Embodiments of the Word Ḥaqq in The Light of Islamic Exegetical Literature

لفظِ حق کے مصداقات کا اسلامی تفسیری ادب کی روشنی میں ایک تحقیقی مطالعہ

Abstract

In Islamic sciences, there are certain terms that carry highly comprehensive and wide-ranging meanings. Among them, one of the most important terms is “Haqq” (Truth/Right), which has been repeatedly mentioned in the Qur’an and Hadith. This word not only has a strong linguistic foundation but also encompasses multiple dimensions in its juristic usage. In this paper, the literal and technical meanings of the term ‘Haqq’ have been clarified, and a scholarly analysis of its applications in the Qur’an, Hadith, and Tafsīr has been undertaken. By adopting a standard research methodology, the facts have been presented in a narrative style. The root of “Haqq” is (ح، ق، ق), whose primary meanings are: affirmation, truth, obligation, and necessity. According to the lexicographers, “Haqq” is the opposite of falsehood, signifying what is established, necessary, and deserving. “Haqq” is also one of the names of Allah Almighty, for He alone is the Being who truly exists and is firmly established. In the Qur’an and its exegesis, “Haqq” refers to: the Divine Being, the religion and law of Allah, faith and Islam, jihad, the Qur’an, the Torah, the prophethood and messengership of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, the changing of the qiblah, zakat and voluntary charity, truthfulness, maintaining family ties, feeding the poor, and showing kindness to the traveler, among other meanings.