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The Quran => Q&As with Joseph Islam - Information Only => Topic started by: Reader Questions on October 23, 2012, 08:48:58 PM

Title: Salaat - To follow Someone Closely?
Post by: Reader Questions on October 23, 2012, 08:48:58 PM
Dear Sir,

Is this correct?

Quote
The root meaning of this word is "to follow someone closely." For example, in a horse race, if the second horse follows the first horse so closely that its head is always overlapping the first horse’s body, then it is called Al-Musalli, and the first horse is called Saabiqun. [Taj-al-‘Urus, vol. 10, page 213; Lisan-al-‘Arab, vol. 7, page 398.]

http://www.parvez-video.com/insight/islam/prayers/index.asp

Best Regards

Title: Re: Salaat - To follow Someone Closely?
Post by: Joseph Islam on October 23, 2012, 08:55:59 PM
Salamun Alaikum

The term al-musalli as a reference of the 'one that follows next after the foremost' applies only in the context of a horse in a race and only because the location of the horses ‘sallan’. (Sallan - The middle part of the back of a human being or of any quadruped)

This is well known to Arabic.

This is not the context in which the Quran uses the term. There are no horses or a race implied by the verses, nor can it be mataphorically or metonymically applied to an individual.

As you will appreciate, a root meaning must never be considered devoid of context. Words have meanings in certain contexts.

Please see a related lexicon excerpt below:

http://quransmessage.com/(7)%20Updates/links/musalli.jpg

I hope that helps, God willing,
Joseph.