This relates to what the people of the language have transferred the originally provided and set meaning to another meaning that became widespread and widely known. That is whilst the initial indicated meaning was disregarded. An example of this is the Lafzh (Daabbah) as the Arabs first placed it down to indicate everything that moves (slowly or close to the ground) upon the land including the human and the animal. Then they transferred this Lafzh to indicate those creatures which move on four legs alone whilst they cast aside the original meaning. In this way the Lafzh Daabbah)
came to be applied upon its new meaning which represents a Haqeeqah Lughawiyah ‘Urfiyah (customary linguistic reality).
There is also a Haqeeqah ‘Urfiyah Khaassah (specific or specialised customary literal usage or application) for the people of specific arts or skills. This includes the terminological conventions (Istilaahaat) of the ‘Ulamaa of Usool ul-Fiqh. So for instance, the Lafzh (Illah) was set and provided in the language to indicate an illness (or defect). The ‘Ulamaa then used it in their terminology to indicate the matter that is the reason or motivating factor for the Hukm (legal ruling). Also within this category of the specific or specialised Haqeeqah Al- ‘Urfiyah are the terminological conventions that are adopted in astronomy, medicine, geography and other such areas.
The Haqeeqah Al-‘Urfiyah Al-Khaassah (The specific customary Haqeeqah) differs from the Haqeeqah Al-‘Urfiyah Al-Lughawiyah (The linguistcic customary Haqeeqah) in two matters:
1 - It is possible for the people of any particular skill, art or expertise and in any time period to set terminological conventions utilising the Alfaazh (worded expressions) of the language and transfer them to specific meanings associated to their field. That is whilst the Haqeeqah Al-‘Urfiyah Al-Lughawiyah is specific to the (original) people of the language upon whose language is relied upon for proof or evidence. And so it is not permissible today to transfer an Arabic word that had been originally or initially been 556
placed down and set down for a specific meaning, to a new meaning, so as to make a Haqeeqah ‘Urfiyah Lughawiyah from it.
2 – In respect to the Haqeeqah Al-‘Urfiyah Al-Khaassah (The specific customary Haqeeqah) the first (or original) meaning of the Lafzh is not disregarded or cast away but rather remains utilised in writing and speech just as it was provided and set by the Arabs. So for example, the Lafzh ‘Faa’il) which has been given a terminological convention or definition by the scholars of Arabic grammar to indicate the word that the action is attributed to, remains utilised in its originally meaning that the Arabs provided for it initially.
That is whilst in regards to the Haqeeqah Al-‘Urfiyah Al-Lughawiyah, the first meaning which the Lafzh was used to indicate is cast aside and disregarded. So for instance, the Lafzh which held the original meaning of the low lying land or ground was transferred to a new meaning which is the human excrement. It is then (only) utilised in its second meaning and not in its first meaning.