Min Balaghat al-Quran fi al-Tabir bil-Ghudu wal-Asal
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- Min Balaghat al-Quran fi al-Tabir bil-Ghudu wal-Asal
Min Balaghat al-Quran fi al-Tabir bil-Ghudu wal-Asal (From the Rhetoric of the Quran in Expressing the Morning and Evening Hours) is a contemporary rhetorical and exegetical study of Quranic diction by Muhammad Desouqi (Muhammad Muhammad Abd al-Alim Desouqi), examining the stylistic and linguistic nuances of terms denoting the two ends of the day in the Quranic text.
Purpose and Scope
The work investigates the rhetoric behind the Quran's lexical choices when referring to the beginning of the day—using expressions such as al-ghudu (morning), qabla tulu‘ al-shams (before sunrise), al-ibkar (early morning), and al-ishraq (sunrise)—and its end, using terms such as al-‘ashi (late afternoon/evening), qabla al-ghurub (before sunset), and al-asal (late afternoons). Desouqi analyzes the pairing and contrast of these complementary expressions (such as pairing al-‘ashi with al-ibkar, al-ghadah, or al-ishraq), their structural patterns of definiteness and indefiniteness (al-ta‘rif wal-tankir), and their word order (al-taqdim wal-ta’khir).
Structure and Contents
The study is organized into three central sections (mabahith):
- Significations of the Vocabulary for the Ends of the Day: Analyzes the lexical definitions of the terms in Arabic dictionaries, the reasons for their variation, and why these specific times are singled out for mention across Quranic verses. Desouqi traces terms such as al-‘ashi, observing that it appears nine times in the Quran in opposition to morning times: four times paired with al-ibkar, three times with al-ghudu, once with al-ishraq, and once with al-izhar (midday). In these instances, al-‘ashi is placed first four times and placed second in the remaining five.
- Glorification at Dawn and Dusk between Literal and Figurative Meanings: Examines whether the divine command for glorification (tasbih) at these two times is intended literally as general remembrance and exaltation (tanzih / saying subhan Allah) or figuratively as the ritual prayer (al-salat). Desouqi reviews classical exegetical authorities—such as Ibn Abbas, Said ibn Jubayr, Mujahid ibn Jabr, al-Hasan al-Basri, al-Dahhak, and Ibn Kathir—who interpreted tasbih in these contexts as referring to the prescribed morning (Subh) and afternoon (Asr) prayers, analyzing the rhetorical trope as either a metonymy (kinayah) or a synecdoche (majaz mursal).
- Contextual Settings and Rhetorical Harmony: Explores the thematic contexts (al-maqamat) where these temporal designations occur, showing how each formulation aligns with its narrative environment. This includes evaluating the rhetorical rationale behind word order—such as placing al-‘ashi before al-ibkar in the narratives of Zakariyya and the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prior to the Hijrah to Mecca, reflecting the circumstances of early or vulnerable communities engaged in obligatory devotion.
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