Broken Mirrors (7): The Debate Between Sayyed Jaʿfar Shahīdī and Shahrām Hedāyat on the Translation of Qaṣrin Mashīd (Q. 22:45)
Document Type : pajoohesh
Author
10.22081/jap.2025.77133
Abstract
The late Shahrām Hedāyat, in a brief article, challenged the conventional understanding of the term mashīd (commonly translated as "lofty" or "splendid") in the phrase qaṣrin mashīd (Q. 22:45), arguing that this interpretation is unsound. Drawing on comparative evidence from Semitic languages, he proposed that, contrary to prevailing translations and exegetical interpretations, the word mashīd actually conveys the meaning of "destruction, ruin, and collapse" (Adabistān, no. 17). His claim was met with criticism from Sayyid Jaʿfar Shahīdī, sparking a scholarly exchange between the two. Their debate continued in several issues of Adabistān magazine in 1991 (issues 19, 23, and 24). However, since these discussions were not published under a dedicated title but rather appeared as scattered reader correspondence and commentary, they did not receive the attention they deserved. This installment of Broken Mirrors revisits and reevaluates their arguments, shedding light on the nuances of their linguistic and exegetical perspectives.
Keywords
)