Semantic Development of Words in the Thought of Sayyid Ali al-Sistani

Abstract

This study investigates the phenomenon of semantic evolution in the vocabulary of the contemporary religious authority, Sayyid Ali al-Sistani. Using a descriptive method that integrates occasional analysis and comparison, the research reveals al-Sistani’s profound awareness of semantic change—its causes, mechanisms, and outcomes. This awareness significantly shapes his contributions to legal theory, as seen in his formulation of new frameworks, critique of existing methodologies, rejection of blind reliance on linguistic authorities, and his emphasis on engaging with classical texts through the lens of semantic development. Consequently, semantic evolution becomes a central criterion in his jurisprudential, legal-theoretical, and biographical assessments.