1. THE
RHETORICAL EXPRESSIONS OF THE QUR’ĀN (3)
There are many
linguistic features other than jinas which can be taken as evidence of its
inimitable linguistic nature. Among them
are: Analogy (التَّشَابُهُ
الجُزْئِي, المُمَاثَلة, التَّنَاظُرُ), Antiphrasis
(المُغَايَرةَ ), Antithesis (الطِبَاق (Țibāq) and الْمُقَابَلَة) , Parenthesis,
(الجُمْلَةُ
المُعْتَرِضَة), Hyperbole (الغُلُوٌّ), iltifat
(sudden transition), Ellipsis, the
disagreement of words with its literal meaning, e.g., imperative, and specification.
1.
Analogy (التَّشَابُهُ الجُزْئِي, المُمَاثَلة, التَّنَاظُرُ). Analogy is a comparison of two things based on their
being alike in some way (Merriam-Webster). It is partial likeness or agreement.
Resemblance of properties or relations, similarity without identity. For
example:
وَنَمَارِقُ
مَصْفُوفَةٌ. وَزَرَابِيُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ (الغاشية:15-16)
And
cushions set in rows. And rich carpets
spread out. (Q.88:15-16).
فَأَمَّا الْيَتِيمَ فَلَا تَقْهَرْ. وَأَمَّا السَّائِلَ
فَلَا تَنْهَرْ (الضحى:9-(10
Therefore,
treat not the orphan with oppression.
And repulse not the
beggar. (Q. 93: 9-10).
2. Antiphrasis)
(المُغَايَرةَ
Antiphrasis is the usually ironic or humorous use of
words in senses
opposite to the generally accepted meanings, as in “this giant of 3 feet 4
inches” (Merriam-Webster). It is the use of a term in a sense opposite to its usual meaning, especially
ironically. For example:
ثُمَّ صُبُّوا فَوْقَ رَأْسِهِ مِنْ عَذَابِ الْحَمِيمِ.
ذُقْ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ
الْعَزِيزُ الْكَرِيمُ (الدخان:48-49(
Then
pour over his head the torment of boiling
water. Taste you (this)!
Verily, you were (pretending
to be
the mighty, the generous! (Q. 44: 48-49).
It is said
to a person who used to claim to be mighty and generous in his world, when he
was being punished in the Hereafter and was reminded of his claim to be mighty
and generous; what he is suffering is the
opposite of his statement.
3.
Antithesis, الطِبَاق(Țibāq) and الْمُقَابَلَة (Muqābalah) or التَّقَابُل) Taqābul)
types.
Antithesis is the exact opposite of
something or someone (Merriam Webster). It is the balancing of contrasted words or
ideas against each other or the direct contrary, a strong contrast. It is
opposition of one thing to another, between two things. This Antithes of Țibāq
type is divided into two types: Positive Antithesis (طِبَاقُ اْلإيْجَاب) is when the two words (nouns,
verbs or prepositions) are positive, such as: “I like honesty, and I hate
tyranny” أُحِبُّ الصِّدْقَ
وَأَكْرَهُ الظُّلْمَ) (; the example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
وَتَحْسَبُهُمْ أَيْقَاظًا وَهُمْ رُقُودٌ .....( سورة الكهف
: 18)
And you would have thought them awake,
whereas they were asleep….”
(Q. 18:18)
Negative Antithesis (طِبَاقُ السِّلْبِ) is when one of the word negates the other, such as, “I like
honesty, and I do not like tyranny” (أُحِبُّ الصِّدْقَ وَلَا أُحِبُّ
الظُّلْم) . The example in the Qur’ān is as follows:
ثُمَّ مِنْ مُضْغَةٍ
مُخَلَّقَةٍ وَغَيْرِ مُخَلَّقَةٍ لِنُبَيِّنَ لَكُمْ (الحج:5)
… then from a little lump of
flesh—some formed
and some unformed
(as in the case of miscarriage—
that We may make (it) clear to you Our Power
and Our
Ability to do what We will)…
This verse is about the creation of the baby in his
mother’s womb.
It could be between two
negative verbs, such as the following Qur’ānic verse:
ثُمَّ لَا يَمُوتُ فِيهَا وَلَا يَحْيَى
(سورة الأعلى:13)
There [i.e. in the
Hellfire] he will neither die (to
be in rest) nor live
(a good living) (Q. 78:13)
It could be between two
verbs, one is commanding and the other in prohibiting, such as:
فَلَا تَخْشَوُا النَّاسَ
وَاخْشَوْنِ... (المائدة:44)…
Therefore, fear not men, but fear Me… (Q.
5:44)
It could be between two similar words, but with different
meanings, such as:
وَمَكَرُوا مَكْرًا وَمَكَرْنَا مَكْرًا وَهُمْ
لَا يَشْعُرُونَ (النمل:50)
So, they plotted
a plot, and We planned a plan,
while they perceived not. (Q. 27:50)
It
could be between two prepositions, such as:
وَلَهُنَّ مِثْلُ الَّذِي عَلَيْهِنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ
وَلِلرِّجَالِ
عَلَيْهِنَّ دَرَجَةٌ (البقرة:228)
And they (women) have
rights (over their husbands)
as regards living expenses) similar (to those
of their
husbands) to what is reasonable, but men have
a degree (of responsibility) over them… (Q. 2:228)
Here the two prepositions “for”
in “for them”
(لَهُنَّ) and
“on” in “on them”
(عَلَيْهِنَّ) are
mentioned.
It could be
between two different words, a verb and a noun, such as:
وَمَن يُضْلِلِ اللَّهُ فَمَا لَهُ مِنْ هَادٍ
(الزمر:36)
… And whom Allah sends
astray, for him
there will be no guide. (Q. 39:36)
or between a noun and a verb, such as:
أَوَ مَن كَانَ مَيْتًا فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ ...(الأنعام:122)
Is he who was dead and We have
him life … (Q. 6:122)
The above verse belongs to الطِّبَاقُ اْلمَجَازِيّ (Metaphorical Antithesis), namely,
أَوَ مَن كَانَ مَيْتًا
فَأَحْيَيْنَاهُ وَجَعَلْنَا لَهُ نُورًا يَمْشِي بِهِ فِي النَّاسِ
كَمَن مَّثَلُهُ
فِي الظُّلُمَاتِ لَيْسَ بِخَارِجٍ مِّنْهَا كَذَلِكَ زُيِّنَ لِلْكَافِرِينَ
مَا كَانُواْ يَعْمَلُونَ
(الأنعام:122)
Is he who was dead (without Faith by ignorance
and
disbelief) and We have him life (by knowledge
and Faith)
and set for him a light (of Belief) whereby
he
can walk amongst them—like him who is in
the
darkness (of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy)
from
which he can never come out? Thus it is made
fair-seeming to the disbelievers that which
they
used to do. (Q. 6:122).
Here death is the metaphor
of ignorance and disbelief, life is of knowledge and faith, whereas light is of
belief, and darkness of disbelief, polytheism and hypocrisy.
With
regard to Antithesis of Muqābalah type, classical Muslim scholar Badr al-Dīn al-Zarkashī (d.
794/ 1392) gave its definition, as
follows:
هُوَ
ذِكْرُ الشَّيْءِ مَعَ مَا يُوَازِنُهُ فِيْ بَعْضِ صِفَاتِهِ ، وَيُخَالِفُهُ فِي
بَعْضها
It is the mentioning of something with what is
equal
to it in
some of its qualities and their opposite
in others.
In other words it is the mentioning of
something with two or more agreed meanings without contradiction, then it is
brought what is the opposite of it in order. For example,
فَلْيَضْحَكُوا
قَلِيلًا وَلْيَبْكُوا كَثِيرًا جَزَاءً بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ (التوبة:82
So let them laugh
a little and (they will) cry much
as a recompense of
what they used to earn
(by committing sins)
(Q. 9:82)
The terms laugh and a
little agree with each other and without contradiction, then come cry
and much as their opposite, i.e., laugh as the opposite of cry, and a little as
the opposite of much.
This muqabalah type of antithesis is divided into
three categories:
a.
Two things compared with two others, such as
the example above. Other examples are:
تُؤْتِي الْمُلْكَ مَنْ تَشَاءُ وَتَنْزِعُ الْمُلْكَ
مِمَّنْ تَشَاءُ (آل عمران:26)
You give the kingdom to whom You will, and You take
the kingdom from whom You will…(Q. 3:26)
وَتُخْرِجُ الْحَيَّ مِنَ الْمَيِّتِ وَتُخْرِجُ
الْمَيِّتَ مِنَ الْحَيِّ (آل عمران:27)
…You bring the living out of the dead, and You
bring the
dead out of the living… (Q. 3:27)
وَجَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِبَاسًا. وَجَعَلْنَا النَّهَارَ
مَعَاشًا (النبأ:10-11)
And We have made the night
as covering
(through its darkness), and We have made
the
day for livelihood.(Q. 78:10-11)
أَلَمْ يَرَوْا أَنَّا جَعَلْنَا اللَّيْلَ لِيَسْكُنُوا
فِيهِ وَالنَّهَارَ مُبْصِرًا
إِنَّ فِي ذَلِكَ لَآيَاتٍ لِقَوْمٍ
يُؤْمِنُونَ (النمل:86)
See they not that We have made the night for
them to rest therein, and the day sight-giving?
Verily, in
this are āyāt (proofs, evidences,
verses,
lessons, signs,revelations, etc.)
for the
people who believe (Q. 27:86)
b.
Three things compared with three others,
such as:
وَيُحِلُّ لَهُمُ الطَّيِّبَاتِ وَيُحَرِّمُ عَلَيْهِمُ
الْخَبَائِثَ... (الأعراف:157)
… he allows them as lawful at-tayyibat (i.e., all
good and
lawful as regards things, deeds,
beliefs,
persons and foods), and prohibits
them al-khabā’
ith (i.e., all evil and unlawful
as
regards things, deeds, beliefs,
persons and food) (Q. 7:157)
c.
Four things compared with four others, such as:
فَأَمَّا مَنْ أَعْطَى وَاتَّقَى. وَصَدَّقَ
بِالْحُسْنَى . فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ
لِلْيُسْرَى . وَأَمَّا مَنْ بَخِلَ وَاسْتَغْنَى
. وَكَذَّبَ
بِالْحُسْنَى. فَسَنُيَسِّرُهُ لِلْعُسْرَى
(الليل: 5-10)
As for him who gives (in charity) and keeps his
duty to Allah
and fears Him, and believes in the
best, We will
make smooth for him the path of
ease (goodness).
But he who is a greedy miser
and thinks
himself self-sufficient. And denies
the best We will make smooth for him
the path for
evil. (Q. 92:5-10)
The examples of Antithesis in the verses of
the Qur’ān are used very extensively. As a book of guidance the Qur’ān mentions
two contrasting things side by side, namely, truth and falsehood, good and
evil, belief and disbelief, guidance and misguidance called juxtaposition
in order to highlight the difference between the
two sides. This is very evident with the Qur’ānic expression فَأَمَّا or أَمَّا followed
by وَأَمَّا as in the above verse.[1]
Allah says in the Qur’ān,
وَهَدَيْنَاهُ النَّجْدَيْنِ (البلد:10)
And shown him he two ways (good and evil) (Q. 90:10)
It is up to us, whether we choose
guidance and the right way or misguidance and the wrong way.
(CIVIC,
23 September, 2016) Bibliography:
Al-Maktabah al-Shamilah
https://islamwich.com/2013/04/03/quranic-challenge/
https://old.uqu.edu.sa/page/ar/43947
http://www.hamzatzortzis.com/essays-articles/exploring-the-quran/the-inim
https://sites.google.com/site/mihfadha/balagha/18
http://www.sunnti.com/vb/showthread.php?t=14313
[1] See also Q. 2:26; 3:56-57; 4:173; 11:106-108;
30:15-16; 69: 19-25; 79:37-40; 84:7-10; and 101:6-9.
No comments:
Post a Comment