Semantic Range of “Shikl” (Form) and “Shakilah” (Manner) based on a Comparative-Etymological Study

Verse 84 of Surah Al-Isra represents most essential basis of human deeds in the word “Shakilah” (manner), where it says “Say, each works according to his manner …” There are only the two words of “Shikl” (form) and “Shakilah” (manner) from the root word of “Sha-ka-la” in the Holy Quran, while the majority of commentators and lexicographers offer quite different definitions for the word “Shakilah”. Of course, some definitions are figurative. Lexicographers’ attempts to find a collective meaning for the root word of “Sha-ka-la” have yielded no results thus far. Some lexicographers have presented “likeness” as a synonym for the Arabic root word, but it is not that much accurate. This paper intends to apply semantics and resort to etymological studies to explore semantic components of the root word of “Sha-ka-la” in early Arabic languages to find how these components have established links with the concept of “Shakilah” in Arabic language. In the light of this method, we have indicated how intrinsic and extrinsic semantic components in the root word of “Sha-ka-la” have found their way from the early Arabic languages to the contemporary Arabic language and how they affected the meaning of “Shakilah”.