Al-Jawāb bi al-Sukūt: Semantic Limitation and the Pedagogical Strategy of the Qur’an in the Tafsir of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī

Abstract

The Qur’an is often understood as a book of guidance that provides answers to various human problems. However, a close reading of the Qur’anic discourse structure reveals that not all questions are answered explicitly and directly. In several verses, particularly those introduced by the formula yas’alūnaka (“they ask you”), the Qur’an responds through limitation, semantic redirection, or affirmation of the limitations of human knowledge. This article aims to examine this phenomenon through the concept of sukūt (meaningful silence) using a thematic exegesis approach based on the interpretation of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī in Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb. This study employs a qualitative-descriptive method with library research techniques based on primary and secondary sources. The verses analyzed include QS Al-Isrā’ [17]:85, QS Al-Baqarah [2]:189, and QS Al-Kahf [18]:22. The findings show that the absence of direct answers in these verses does not signify a lack of meaning, but rather an epistemological and pedagogical strategy of revelation. Al-Rāzī understands this pattern as a shift away from metaphysical speculation toward an affirmation of the limits of human reason and a focus on the guiding purpose (hidāyah) of revelation. In this article, this phenomenon is formulated as al-jawāb bi al-sukūt, namely, an answer conveyed through limitation and redirection rather than ontological explanation. Thus, this study contributes to enriching Qur’anic exegetical studies, particularly regarding the relationship between revelation, language, and the epistemology of human knowledge.