Semantic Analysis of the Usage of Terms " Ulu al-'Albāb", " Allaẓīn Ūtu al-'Ilm" and " Ulu al-'Ilm" in The Quran

The term “'ilm” and its synonymies are of the most used and frequent Quranic vocabulary. The word, like many other Quranic words, has different meanings in different idiomatic combinations and situations. Among all, the two Quranic ones of “'Allaẓīn 'Ūtu al-'Ilm” and “'Ulu al-'Ilm” as well as another synonymous combination of “'Ulu al-'Albāb”, despite of some similarities between them, have significant differences in functions, features and examples, making them distinct from each other. The present paper, regarding important Shiite and Sunni exegeses and applying a descriptive-analytical method, studies and analyzes the differences between these three Quranic combinations. The findings argue that the true examples of the compositions of “’Allaẓīn 'Ūtu al-'Ilm” and “'Ulu al-'Ilm” are the Infallibles (pbuth), but the true examples of “'Ulu al-'Albāb” are Shiite thinkers who follow and imitate “’Allaẓīn 'Ūtu al-'Ilm” and “'Ulu al-'Ilm” fully in their life in order to be closely aligned and part of the two former groups’ position.