Semantic Changes of the Word  hikmah ( Wisdom') in Different Islamic Fields

Words used in the Holy Qur’an are mainly the ones which were common among Arabs of the Time of Ignorance (‘jāhilīyah’) as were used in tribes and certain poetic circles. Similar to many others, the word ‘hikmah’ (‘wisdom’) was influenced by the Qur’an’s cosmological system and was used in new semantic domains. While retaining its core meaning, it gained new senses as it was collocated with certain words and occurred in verses which had certain concords and discords with other verses and, technically, went through semantic expansions or reductions. Moreover, as it was used in various Islamic fields in its new senses it fostered new systems of understanding. In other words, through semantic changes, the word ‘hikmah’ gained new senses in different Islamic fields including ethics, philosophy and theology, with its own usage in each.