Lamasat Bayaniyya fi Nusus min al-Tanzil - Muhadarat
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- Lamasat Bayaniyya fi Nusus min al-Tanzil - Muhadarat
Lamasat Bayaniyya fi Nusus min al-Tanzil (Rhetorical Touches in Texts of the Revelation) is a contemporary work on Quranic rhetoric and stylistic analysis by the Iraqi linguist and professor of Arabic syntax Fadil Salih al-Samarrai .
Composition and Purpose
The book originated from questions posed to al-Samarrai regarding the underlying stylistic wisdom of various Quranic expressions, supplemented by selected passages he chose from across different surahs . He conceived it as a subsequent step following his earlier publication al-Ta'bir al-Qur'ani (Quranic Expression) . In the introduction, al-Samarrai notes that when it was suggested that he title the work al-I'jaz al-Qur'ani (The Inimitability of the Quran), he declined, stating that encompassing inimitability (i'jaz) is beyond any single scholar's capacity; rather, the work aims to highlight aesthetic markers, stylistic choices, and expressive subtleties that assist students of the Quran in appreciating the precision of the text .
Structure and Content
The work is organized into dedicated chapters analyzing specific passages and complete short chapters of the Quran . It opens with an analysis of Surat al-Fatiha and encompasses studies on passages such as Ayat al-Kursi and the account of the Night Journey (al-Isra'), as well as dedicated thematic and stylistic treatments of numerous surahs, including Surat al-Kahf, Surat al-Naml, Surat al-Qasas, Luqman's counsels in Surat Luqman, Surat al-Qamar, Surat al-Tur, Surat al-Qalam, Surat al-Ma'arij, Surat al-Qari'ah, Surat al-Munafiqun, Surat al-Insan, Surat al-Layl, Surat al-Balad, Surat al-Duha, Surat al-Tin, Surat al-Kawthar, and Surat al-Nas .
Methodology and Sources
Al-Samarrai's method centers on minute linguistic and rhetorical analysis, examining morphological variations, syntactic arrangements, word order (precedence and deferment), and contextual appropriateness (munasaba) . For instance, he contrasts parallel accounts of the narrative of Moses across Surat al-Naml and Surat al-Qasas to illustrate why certain phrases are elaborated in one context and abridged in another . In morphological analysis, he contrasts verbal forms such as fa-assaddaq and fa-atasaddaq, or nabtalihi and li-yabluwakum, demonstrating how structural variations align with thematic emphasis and syllable count .
In documenting these analyses, the text draws on major classical Quranic commentaries and linguistic authorities, including al-Zamakhshari's al-Kashshaf, al-Alusi's Ruh al-Ma'ani, al-Baydawi's Anwar al-Tanzil, and Abu Hayyan al-Gharnati's al-Bahr al-Muhit, alongside al-Samarrai's own grammatical study Ma'ani al-Nahw (Meanings of Grammar) .
Publication and Reception
The book has been published in multiple editions by Dar 'Ammar in Amman, Jordan, including a third edition in 1423 AH / 2003 CE and an eighth edition in 2012 CE, and has also been issued by Dar Ibn Kathir . It is frequently cited in modern Quranic studies and recommended alongside al-Samarrai's broader corpus of rhetorical works and televised lectures on Quranic discourse .
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