LessonsIstiʿārah: Definition, Figurative Identification and the Linguistic–Intellectual DebateQuiz

وإن أريد به من غير إطلاق المقيد على المطلق
A different reading arises when a restricted sense is extended to an unrestricted one.

Applied to a human lip, *mishfar* may transfer through resemblance between camel and human lips. Another analysis treats the expression as moving from a qualified lip-concept to the more general lip-concept by setting aside the specific restriction. That latter account involves the relation between restricted and unrestricted meaning, not necessarily similarity.

Whether the animal-related restriction belongs to the term's conventional sense is important. Merely observing that the word is not being used literally does not decide whether the figure is istiʿārah or mursal.

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Absolute and restricted senses in the lip example

Istiʿārah: Definition, Figurative Identification and the Linguistic–Intellectual Debate

وإن أريد به من غير إطلاق المقيد على المطلق
A different reading arises when a restricted sense is extended to an unrestricted one.

Applied to a human lip, *mishfar* may transfer through resemblance between camel and human lips. Another analysis treats the expression as moving from a qualified lip-concept to the more general lip-concept by setting aside the specific restriction. That latter account involves the relation between restricted and unrestricted meaning, not necessarily similarity.

Whether the animal-related restriction belongs to the term's conventional sense is important. Merely observing that the word is not being used literally does not decide whether the figure is istiʿārah or mursal.