Specialization of Meaning of the Term ‘Muhajir’: A Morphological and Semantic Analysis Based on the Quran and the Malay Language

Abstract

The term muhajir, derived from the Arabic root h-j-r, has traditionally been associated with migration and the Muhajirin who migrated from Makkah to Madinah. However, its emerging use in Malay discourse to refer to converts to Islam (mualaf or saudara baru) raises important questions concerning its morphological formation, semantic specialization, and appropriateness as a developing terminological choice. This study is motivated by the absence of a comprehensive linguistic account explaining how the meaning of muhajir develops from its Arabic lexical and Quranic foundations into a specialized meaning within the Malay socioreligious context. The study therefore aims to examine the morphological and semantic characteristics of muhajir, identify its semantic boundaries in relation to synonymous Arabic lexical items, and investigate its contextual meanings in the Quran and Malay. A componential analysis and descriptive-comparative were employed using Arabic and Arabic-Malay lexicographical sources, supplemented by Quranic data retrieved from the Quranic Arabic Corpus. The findings demonstrate that the root h-j-r fundamentally conveys the concepts of leaving, separating, and avoiding, while the Form III derivation hājara exhibits a specialized meaning of religious migration. Furthermore, muhajir shifts from an eventive meaning to an identificational meaning referring to a recognized social group. The study demonstrates that its emerging Malay usage reflects a meaningful process of semantic extension and terminological innovation.