وإما معنى كقولنا: «من» و«ما»
Or semantically, as in “man” and “mā.”
These do not have the outward plural form of “Muslimūn,” yet in suitable constructions they may encompass many persons or things. Thus generality cannot be reduced to a grammatical plural ending.
For example, “man yajtahid yanjaḥ” means “Whoever strives succeeds.” Here “man” is not confined to one named person. “Mā,” depending on its use, may likewise encompass multiple things.
The actual reach of a term is determined by its usage in context.