4. RHETORICAL EXPRESSSIONS OF THE QUR’AN (4)

4. RHETORICAL EXPRESSSIONS OF THE QUR’AN (4)

4.  Parenthesis, جُمْلَةُ مُعْتَرِضَة

“Parenthesis is a word, phrase, or clause inserted in a sentence that is grammatically complete without it, separated usually by commas, dashes, or upright curves.”[1]  It is a word or phrase inserted as an explanation or afterthought into a passage which is grammatically complete without it, in writing usually marked off by brackets, dashes, or commas.[2] It is a stylistic device that comes from a Greek word, meaning to place or alongside. Parenthesis is a qualifying or explanatory sentence, clause or word that writers insert into a paragraph or passage. However, if they leave it out, even then grammatically it does not affect the text that it is correct without it. Writers mark them off by round and square brackets or by commas, dashes, little lines and brackets. As far as its purpose is concerned, this verbal unit provides extra information, interrupts syntactic flow of words, and allows the readers to pay attention on explanation. However, the overuse of parenthesis may make sentences look ambiguous and poorly structured.[3]  It is a sentence within another sentence, marked off by comas, dashes or brackets. It is an explanatory or qualifying word, clause or sentence inserted into a passage with which it doesn’t necessarily have any grammatical connection. For example:

وَالَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ لَا نُكَلِّفُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا

أُولَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ الْجَنَّةِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ (الأعراف:42(

But those who believed, and worked righteousness–

We tax not any person beyond his scope – such

are the dwellers of Paradise. They will abide

therein forever.   (Q.7: 42).

          Another example is as follows

فَلَمَّا وَضَعَتْهَا قَالَتْ رَبِّ إِنِّي وَضَعْتُهَا أُنْثَى وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا

وَضَعَتْ وَلَيْسَ الذَّكَرُ كَالْأُنْثَى وَإِنِّي سَمَّيْتُهَا مَرْيَمَ وَإِنِّي أُعِيذُهَا

بِكَ وَذُرِّيَّتَهَا مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ (آل عمران:36)

Then when she gave birth to her [child Maryam

(Mary)], she said: “O my Lord! I have given birth to

a female child,”—And Allah knew better what she

brought forth,--“And the male is not like the female,

and I have named her Maryam (Mary), and I seek

refuge with You (Allah) for her and her offspring

from Satan, the outcast.” (Q. 3:36)

وَإِذَا بَدَّلْنَا آيَةً مَكَانَ آيَةٍ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا يُنَزِّلُ قَالُوا إِنَّمَا

 أَنْتَ مُفْتَرٍ بَلْ أَكْثَرُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (النحل:101)

And when We change a Verse (of the Qur’an)  

in place of another – and Allah knows best what

He sends down – they (the disbelievers) say:

 “You (O Muhammad) are but a Muftari!

 (forger, liar)” nay, but most of them

  know not. (Q. 16:101)

قَالَ فَالْحَقُّ وَالْحَقَّ أَقُولُ. لَأَمْلَأَنَّ جَهَنَّمَ مِنْكَ

وَمِمَّنْ تَبِعَكَ مِنْهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ (ص:84-85)   

(Allah) said: “The truth is – and the truth I

 say, -  that I will fill Hell with you [Iblis (Satan)]

 and those of them (mankind) that follow

 you, together.” (Q. 38:84-85)

5. Saj‘ (السَّجْع)

        The term saj‘ means “rhymed prose”; it is the voice of man when he speaks rhymed prose with intermission, like the coo of pigeons, namely, coo coo coo. It is the agreement the last letters or last parts of two ends in two sections or more of expression, such as the verses of the Qur’an, namely, rhyming together. This rhyme in prose is called qāfiyah (rhyme) in poetry. For example, the Prophet said:

رَبّ تَقَبَّلْ تَوْبَتِي، وَاغْسِلْ حَوْبَتي، وَأجِبْ دَعْوَتي، وَثَبِّتْ حُجَّتِي

(رواه أبو داؤد و النسائي و الترمذي و ابن ماجه و أحمد)

O my Lord, accept my repentance,

 wash my sin, answer my  invocation, and

 strengthen my competent authority

(Reported by Abū Dā’ūd, al-Nasā’ī,

al-Tirmidhī, Ibn Mājah, and Aḥmad)

            Here we see the rhyming together of   atī  in tawbatī, ḥawbatī, da‘watī, and ḥujjatī.

          Scholars of Arabic rhetoric divide saj into four categories: 1. muṭarraf  المُطَرَّف)), 2. mutawāzī (المُتَوَازي), 3. muraṣṣa' (المُرَصَّع), 4. mutawāzin (المُتَوَازِن), and  5. mutamāthil (المُتَمَاثِل).

1.    Muṭarraf  المُطَرَّف))  is when both agree in the letter of rhyme, but different in their meters, such as waqārā and aṭwārā in the following verses:

مَا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّهِ وَقَارًا وَقَدْ خَلَقَكُمْ أَطْوَارًا (نُوحٍ: 13، 14)

What is the matter with you, that [you fear  

 not Allah (His punishment), and] you hope not for

   reward (from Allah or you believe not in His One-

ness) While He has created you in (different)

stages [i.e. nutfah, then ‘alaqah, then

 muḍghah in Q. 23:13, 14] (Q. 71:13, 14)

         Here the wazn (form, measure, meter) of waqārā is totally different from that of aṭwārā but agree in the letter of rhyme, namely, ārā.

2. Mutawāzī (المُتَوَازي, namely, parallel, similar) is when both have the same rhyme and meter, but their precedence are not equivalent, such as:

فِيهَا سُرُرٌ مَرْفُوعَةٌ وَأَكْوَابٌ مَوْضُوعَةٌ (الْغَاشِيَة: 13،14 )

Therein will be thrones raised high. And cups

 set at hand (Q. 88. 13, 13)

      Here the term marfū‘ah and mawḍū‘ah have the same rhyme and meter, but their precedence, namely, surur and akwāb are not equivalent.

3. Muraṣṣa‘ (المُرَصَّع, decorated), is when both have the same rhyme and meter, and their precedence are also equivalent, such as:

إِنَّ إِلَيْنَا إِيَابَهُمْ ثُمَّ إِنَّ عَلَيْنَا حِسَابَهُمْ (الْغَاشِيَة: 25، 26)

Verily, to Us will be their return; Then verily,  

for Us will be their reckoning (Q. 88: 25-26).

    Here the term iyābahum and ḥisābahum have the same rhyme and meter, and their precedence, ilaynā and ‘alaynā are also equivalent.

                Another example:

إِنَّ الْأَبْرَارَ لَفِي نَعِيمٍ وَإِنَّ الْفُجَّارَ لَفِي جَحِيمٍ (الِانْفِطَار: 13، 14)

Verily, the  pious believers will be in Delight

 (Paradise). And verily, the wicked will be in

 the blazing Fire (Hell) (Q. 82:13, 14)

               Here the term na‘īm and jaḥīm have the same rhyme and meter, and their precedence, lafī and lafī are also equivalent.

4. Mutawāzin (المُتَوَازِن, having the same meter), is when they have the same meter, but different rhyme, such as:

وَنَمَارِقُ مَصْفُوفَةٌ وَزَرَابِيُّ مَبْثُوثَةٌ   (الْغَاشِيَة: 15، 16)

And cushions set in rows. And rich carpets

(all) spread out (Q. 88:15, 16)

      Here the term maṣfūfah and mabthūthah have the same  meter, but are different in rhyme, namely, fah is different in rhyme from thah.

      Another example is:

الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ. مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ (الفاتحة:3-4)

The Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. The Only

 Owner of the Day of Recompense (Q. 1:3-4)

     Here the term ḥīm in al-raḥīm and dīn in al-dīn have the same meter, but are different in rhyme, namely, ḥīm (with m) is different in rhyme from dīn (with n)

5. Mutamāthil (المُتَمَاثِل, being alike) is they have the same meter, but not in rhyme; yet the precedence of the first is equivalent with that of the second. For example:

 وَآتَيْنَاهُمَا الْكِتَابَ الْمُسْتَبِينَ وَهَدَيْنَاهُمَا الصِّرَاطَ

الْمُسْتَقِيمَ (الصَّافَّات: 117، 118)

And We gave them the clear Scripture; and

guided them the Right Path (Q.37:117, 118)

    Here the term al-kitāb and al-ṣirāṭ have the same meter, as well as al-mustabīn and al-mustaqīm, but different in rhyme, namely, the last letters, letter n (ن)  and m (م) .

          In poetry we have what we call al-ḍarūrāt al-shi‘riyyah (الضَّرُورّاتُ الشِّعْرِيَّة), namely poetical necessity where the poets violate grammatical rules for the sake of rhyme though addition, omission, alteration or inversion.[4]  Similarly, we have them in the Qur’an. The example of the addition is as follows:

وَأَمَّا مَنْ خَفَّتْ مَوَازِينُهُ . فَأُمُّهُ هَاوِيَةٌ. وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا هِيَهْ.

نَارٌ حَامِيَةٌ (القارعة:8-11)

But as for him whose Balance (of good deeds)

will be light, He will have his home in Hāwiyah

 (pit, i.e. Hell). And what will make you know

 what it is? It is a blazing Fire (Q. 101:9-11)

      Here there is addition of هـ in هِيَ meaning “she” to suit the rhyme in هَاوِيَةٌ and حَامِيَةٌ.

 The addition of alif (ا)  is common to suit the rhyme, such as:الظُنُوْنَا (الأجزاب:10) , الرَّسُولا (الأجزاب:66), السَّبِيْلا (الأجزاب:67), and(الإنسان:15)   قَوَارِيرَا.         

The omission of yā’  (ي)is common, especially if it is a   personal pronoun meaning نِي “me”,  ي“my” or  كَ“you” as an object. It has to be mentioned in translation. For example, the following verses where Prophet Ibrāhīm told his father about the idols and about Allah, as follows:

فَإِنَّهُمْ عَدُوٌّ لِي إِلَّا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ. الَّذِي خَلَقَنِي فَهُوَ يَهْدِينِ .

وَالَّذِي هُوَ يُطْعِمُنِي وَيَسْقِينِ . وَإِذَا مَرِضْتُ فَهُوَ يَشْفِينِ.

وَالَّذِي يُمِيتُنِي ثُمَّ يُحْيِينِ. (الشعراء:77-81)

Verily, they are enemies to me, except the Lord

of the ‘ālamīn (mankind, jinn and all that exists),

Who had created me, and it is He Who guides me.

And it is He Who feeds me and gives me to drink.

And when I am ill, it is He Who cures me. And

Who will cause me to die, and then will bring

 me to life (again) (Q. 26:77-81)

          Before the omission the words are originally يَهْدِينِي , يَسْقِينيِ , يَشْفِينِي , and يُحْيِينِي .           (Turner, 10 October, 2016)

المراجع:

المكتبة الشاملة

تفسير الطبري (ت. 043 هـ (

تفسير القرطبى (ت. 664 هـ (

تفسير ابن كثير (ت. 661 هـ)

http://www.elibrary4arab.com/ebooks/arabic/arood-qafeya/droorat.htm

http://www.iasj.net/iasj?func=fulltext&aId=78131

http://articles.islamweb.net/media/index.php?page=article&lang=A&id=174379

https://ar.wikipedia.org/wiki/سجع

http://www.alimam.ws/ref/168

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[1] Funk & Wagnall’s: Standard Dictionary of the English Language. International Edition.

[2] Oxford Dictionary.

[3] http://literarydevices.net/parenthesis/ 

[4] The addition is like عُنَيْزَةَ (‘unayzata) becomes عُنَيْزَةٍ (‘unazatin),  يا مَطَرُ (yā maṭaru) - يَا مَطَرٌ  (yā maṭarun),  غِنَى(ghinā) - غِنَاءُ )ghināu(, and  الصَّيَارِف (al-ṣayārif) – الصَّيَارِيْف (al-ṣayārīf). The omission is like صَنْعَاءَ  (ṣan‘ā’) becomes صَنْعَاَ (ṣan‘ā) (omission of (ْء,  مَالِكٍ(Mālikin) –  مَالٍ (Mālin),   مِرْدَاسًا(mirdāsan) – مِرْدَاسَ  (mirdāsa), and أَفِرُّ  (afirru) – أَفِر (afir). The alteration is like أَرَى اثْنَيْنِ  (ara’thnayni) – أَرَى إِثْنَيْنِ (arā ithnayni), يَا أبَا المُغيرةِ  (yā abā’-mughīrati) - يَا ابَا المُغيرةِ  (yā bā’-mughīrati), and الأجَلّ  (al-ajalli) – الأجْلَلِ  (al-ajlali). The inversion is like   السلامُ عليكِ ورحمةُ اللهِ  and it becomes عليكِ ورحمةُ اللهِ السلامُ  .