Unveiling Masculine Hegemony in Classical Qur’anic Exegesis: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Taghlīb in Arabic Grammatical Culture

Abstract

This article investigates the role of taghlīb as the predominance of masculine forms in Arabic as a mechanism of masculine hegemony within classical Qur’anic exegesis. Departing from the assumption that grammatical structures are value neutral, the study conceptualizes taghlīb as a cultural and axiological formation that shapes interpretive authority and symbolic power. Employing qualitative library research and Critical Discourse Analysis, the article examines classical tafsīr texts alongside Arabic grammatical treatises to trace how masculine grammatical norms are naturalized and reproduced in exegetical discourse. The findings reveal that masculine forms function not merely as linguistic conventions but as epistemic defaults that marginalize female subjectivity and normalize gender hierarchy in interpretive practices. This hegemonic structure does not originate from the Qur’anic text itself but emerges from the interaction between grammatical culture, patriarchal social contexts, and traditional hermeneutical frameworks. By distinguishing grammatical form from ethical and theological meaning, the study argues for a culturally and philosophically informed reinterpretation that challenges masculine dominance without rupturing the continuity of classical scholarship. This research contributes to the philosophy of culture by demonstrating how language operates as a vehicle of symbolic power and value construction in religious interpretation.