Quran and Hadith Studies‎

Conceptual Pathology of the Perceptions of the Word "Tabākī" in Religious Geometry with a Lexicographic Approach

Document Type : Research Article

Author

Third grade student (level one), Amir al-Mu'minin Seminary in Lavizan, Tehran, Iran.

10.30497/qhs.2025.247512.4072

Abstract

“Feigning weeping (tabākī) is one of the practices recommended in Islam, and it has been mentioned for various contexts such as supplication, Qur’an recitation, prayer, and mourning for the Imam Husayn (PBUH), the third Imam of the Shia. Given the Ahl al-Bayt’s (PBUH) recommendation of this act and the extensive promotion surrounding this term—especially concerning the observance of mourning rituals—clarifying its precise meaning and safeguarding it from semantic distortion is an important step in explaining Islamic etiquettes and promoting a proper culture of mourning. The common meaning presented for tabākī is ‘pretending to cry,’ that is, displaying the outward state of crying without truly shedding tears. Alongside this meaning, a second interpretation has also been mentioned under the title takalluf al-bukā’, meaning ‘exerting oneself to weep.’ Reflection on this meaning shows that what is intended is the willingness to cry and imposing the act of weeping upon oneself despite difficulty and hardship. This article, by presenting the historical survey of both meanings, uses a descriptive-analytical method and a lexicographical approach to thoroughly examine and elucidate the two interpretations. In the next step, by assessing the credibility of the reports and directly comparing the meanings with the usage of the word tabākī in the narrations, it considers the first meaning incorrect and affirms takalluf al-bukā’ as the accurate one. Based on this meaning, the issue of the permissibility of showing-off (riyā’) does not arise at all. Factors such as relying on the meaning of pretension as one of the predominant senses of the tafā‘ul morphological pattern, the scholarly status of those who understood it as pretension, as well as inaccurate translations and disregard for the subtle nuances of classical Arabic, have contributed to the adoption and spread of the incorrect meaning of ‘pretending’ for tabākī.”

Keywords

Main Subjects

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Quran and Hadith Studies‎
Volume 19, Issue 1 - Serial Number 37
September 2025
Pages 23-44