Shadharat al-Dhahab: Dirasa fi al-Balagha al-Quraniyya
- Author died
- 1446 AH
- Editions
- Shadharat al-Dhahab: Dirasa fi al-Balagha al-Quraniyya
Shadharat al-Dhahab: Dirasa fi al-Balagha al-Quraniyya (Golden Nuggets: A Study in Quranic Rhetoric) is a work on Quranic eloquence by the Azhari scholar of rhetoric and literary criticism Mahmud Tawfiq Muhammad Saad (d. 1446 AH / 2024 CE) .
Composition and Publication
The author prepared the work while serving as a professor and head of the Department of Rhetoric and Criticism at the Faculty of Arabic Language at Al-Azhar University in Shibin al-Kawm . The first edition of the book was published in 1422 AH (c. 2001 CE) .
Purpose and Methodology
The author frames the study around the linguistic and rhetorical understanding (fiqh al-ʿArabiyya) of the revelation of the Quran . He argues that any fruitful analysis of Quranic discourse must derive its analytical framework solely from the linguistic reality and rhetorical norms of the Arabs at the time of revelation, rather than relying on foreign linguistic models imported from outside the Arabic-Islamic tradition .
The analytical method of the work is structured around three interrelated linguistic levels:
- Lexical analysis: Examining individual vocabulary items, their morphological forms, and semantic implications to aid in understanding phrasing and imagery .
- Syntactic analysis: Investigating grammatical parsing (iʿrāb), syntactic links between words in sentence structures, and inter-sentential relationships as keys to uncovering meaning .
- Rhetorical features: Exploring the rhetorical attributes (al-simāt al-balāghiyya) of Quranic discourse and integrating them with the subtle theological and ethical meanings of divine guidance .
The author views the study of Arabic linguistic sciences not as an end in itself, but as a means toward comprehending revelation in a manner that influences character and practical conduct .
Scope and Content
Preceded by an introductory discussion on the status of Arabic linguistic norms , the practical core of the study examines selected verses from Surat al-Tawbah concerning mobilization and striving in the path of God . The analysis emphasizes two distinct contextual dimensions: the historical context of revelation (siyāq al-nuzūl), specifically the circumstances surrounding the expedition of Tabuk, and the textual context of recitation (siyāq al-tilāwa) . Within these passages, the author examines specific rhetorical structures, such as the nuances of interrogatives used for reprimand (istifhām tawbīkhī) and passive constructions in divine address .
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