A Conceptual Analysis of Ṣulb and Tarāʾib in the Qur’an: A Historical Linguistic and Modern Anatomical Approach

A Conceptual Analysis of Ṣulb and Tarāʾib in the Qur’an: A Historical Linguistic and Modern Anatomical Approach

Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

Verse 7 of Sūrat al-Ṭāriq has long been regarded as one of the most challenging Qur’anic passages in the fields of exegesis and natural sciences due to the historical ambiguity of the terms ṣulb and tarāʾib. Traditional interpretations, which associate these terms with “back” and “chest,” have appeared to conflict with modern medical findings concerning the origin of seminal emission, and have thus been used as grounds for claims of scientific error in the Qur’an. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and an interdisciplinary approach, this article examines the etymology, lexical usage, and conceptual development of these terms in classical Arabic, and compares them with anatomical data. The analysis demonstrates that both traditional exegeses and many modernist attempts to reconcile the apparent conflict—whether through shifting the referent of the pronoun or adopting overly “scientific” interpretations—suffer from serious methodological shortcomings. In contrast, this study argues, based on principles of historical linguistics and human anatomy, that ṣulb refers to the sacrum and tarāʾib (with its semantic connotations of symmetry and spatial opposition) refers to the pubic bone. This interpretation not only resolves the historical ambiguity and exegetical disputes but also aligns the verse precisely with the anatomical location of seminal emission in modern medicine (the pelvic space between the sacrum and pubis), thereby eliminating the apparent contradiction. The study underscores the necessity of revisiting conventional exegeses and highlights the vital importance of adopting rigorous, interdisciplinary methodologies in interpreting Qur’anic verses related to natural phenomena.

Keywords

Ṣulb, Tarāʾib, Sūrat al- Ṭāriq, Qur&rsquo

anic exegesis, science and religion, historical linguistics, pelvic anatomy, hermeneutical methodology

Subjects