Al-Furuq al-Lughawiyyah Baina al-Alfādz al-Mutarādifah fī al-Qur’ān al-Karim (Lafdzotā al-‘Afwu wa ash-Shafhu Anmudzajan)

Abstract

This research aims to reveal the linguistic differences between the terms al-‘afwu and ash-shafhu in the Holy Qur’an, as some people claimed that they are synonymous. This topic is considered important in Quranic semantics because every word in the Holy Quran has a meaning other than that of the repetitive words. This research used the Quranic contextual semantic study to understand the integrated Quranic text. One of the important results of this research is that they are two of the words that are close in significance because they are associated with guilt. You know this by looking at the verbal association of both words. An important point is that the terms “al-‘afwu and ash-shafhu” are not synonymous because of the linguistic differences between them. The word “al-‘afwu” is used to erase sins, and it is derived from the saying “Aftat al-Rih al-Athar” means erasing and obliterating what it raises from the dirt, while the word “ash-shafhu” is used to refer to sins, and it was derived from the word “Shafihah” which means that everything is broad. al-‘afwu is a real meaning, but ash-safhu is metaphorical. And considering the use statement that ash-shafhu is more informative than al-‘afwu, as the Holy Qur’an uses the word “al-‘afwu” to leave, prefer, facilitate, license, and mitigate the sinners, while the word “ash-shafhu” serves to calm the rebellious against the enemies at the time. People may forgive (ya’fun) and not forgive (yashfahu). Likewise, the word al-‘afwu is used to describe God Almighty and He is forgiving and He erases the sins of His servant completely by abandoning the punishment of the sinner. As for the forgiveness of humans, the trace of hatred may remain in his heart, so the order for forgiveness comes after it.