Introducing the Qur'an's Literary Excellence, Part 4

 

Introducing the Qur'an's Literary Excellence, Part 4

 

Would not deliver the same effect, as the word 'Allah' has become linguistically redundant, in other words it has become needlessly wordy or repetitive in expression.The original Qur'anic structure achieved its objective by separating the two subjects in order to sandwich the word 'Allah' and using the 'wa' particle as a linguistic bond. This Qur'anic verse has also a rhetorical element as the word Allah is 'cuddled' and 'hugged' by the pious who remember Him a lot, which is indicated by the arrangement of the words in this verse. In this example the Qur'an combines rhetorical and cohesive elements to produce the intended meaning. Any change to the structure of a Qur'anic verse simply changes its literary effect. Arbuthnot explains in his book "The Construction of the Bible and the Koran" this effect of the Qur'anic style:

"It is confessedly the standard of the Arabic tongue... The style of the Koran is generally beautiful and fluent... and in many places, especially where the majesty and attributes of God are described, sublime and magnificent… He succeeded so well, and so strangely captivated the minds of his audience, that several of his opponents thought it the effect of witchcraft and enchantment." To end this section, with the words of Professor Philip H. Hitti:

"The style of the Koran is Gods' style. It is different, incomparable and inimitable. This is basically what constitutes the 'miraculous character' (ijaz) of the Koran. Of all miracles, it is the greatest: if all men and jinn were to collaborate, they could not produce its like. The Prophet was authorized to challenge his critics to produce something comparable.The challenge was taken up by more than one stylist in Arabic literature-with a predictable conclusion."

Dynamic Style

The dynamic style of the Qur'anic discourse occurs as a result of the use of grammatical shifts. This is an accepted rhetorical practice that has been termed the "Daring nature of Arabic".This rhetorical device is called 'iltifat, in English it literally means 'turning' from one thing to another.

Orientalists in the past such as Noldeke stated that some of these changes in person and number occur abruptly. This misconception has been shown to be a superficial understanding of classical Arabic.The changes that are made in the Qur'anic discourse are made according to an effective pattern. The Arab scholars in the past, such as Suyuti, al-Zarkashi and al-Athir, unanimously agreed that this use of Arabic was part of the science of rhetoric. Furthermore they stated that rather than being a peculiarity of the Arabic language, it is an effective rhetorical tool.

The Qur'an is the only form of Arabic prose to have used this rhetorical device in an extensive and complex manner. Haleem states:

"…it employs this feature far more extensively and in more variations than does Arabic poetry.It is,therefore,natural to find…no one seems to quote references in prose other than from the Qur'an"

One example of this complex rhetorical feature is in the following verse where it changes to talking about God, in the third person, to God Himself speaking in the first person plural of majesty:

"There is no good in most of their secret talk, only in commanding charity, or good, or reconciliation between people. To anyone who does these things, seeking to please God,We shall give a rich reward." (4:114)

Instead of saying "He will give him…" God in this example speaks in the plural of majesty to give His personal guarantee of reward for those who do the positive actions mentioned in the above verse.

Another example of this sudden change in person and number is exhibited in the following verses:

"He it is who makes you travel by land and sea; until when you are in the ships and they sail on with them in a pleasant breeze, and they rejoice, a violent wind overtakes them and the billows surge in on them from all sides, and they become certain that they are encompassed about, they pray to Allah, being sincere to Him in obedience: 'If Thou dost deliver us from this, we shall most certainly be of the grateful ones.' But when He delivers them, lo! they are unjustly rebellious in the earth.O humankind! your rebellion is against your own souls - provision of this world's life - then to Us shall be your return, so We shall inform you of what you did" (10:22)

Neal Robinson in his book "Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text" explains this verse in context of its rhetoric:

"At first sight it may appear hopelessly garbled, but the three consecutive pronominal shifts are all perfectly logical. The shift from the second person plural to the third person plural objectifies the addressees and enables them to see themselves as God sees them, and to recognize how ridiculous and hypocritical their behaviour is. The shift back to the second person plural marks God's turning to admonish them. Finally the speaker's shift from the third person singular to the first person plural expresses His majesty and power, which is appropriate in view of the allusion to the resurrection and judgment."

The dynamic style of the Qur'an is an obvious stylistic feature and an accepted rhetorical practice. The Qur'an uses this feature in such a way that conforms to the theme of the text while enhancing the impact of the message it conveys. The complex manner in which the Qur'an uses this feature provides a dynamic expressive text, which was unknown to Arabists in the past. It is not surprising that Neal Robinson concluded that the grammatical shifts used in the Qur'an:

"…are a very effective rhetorical device."

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