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By Hamza Tzortzis
hamza.tzortzis@theinimitablequran.com
Professor Abdel Haleem in his article 'Grammatical Shift for Rhetorical Purposes:
Iltifat and Related Features in the Qur'an' [1] brought to attention, that another
inimitable feature of the Qur'an, is the extensive use of grammatical shifts. This
feature is an effective rhetorical device that enhances the texts literary expression
and achieves the communicative goal;[2] it is an accepted, well researched part
of Arabic rhetoric. One can find references in the books of balagha (rhetoric) by
al-Athir, Suyuti and Zarkashi.[3]
These grammatical shifts include changes in person, change in number, change
in addressee, change in tense, change in case marker, using a noun in place or a
pronoun and many other changes. [4] An example of this complex rhetorical
feature is exhibited in the following verse. 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.”
La khayra fee katheerin min najwahum illa man amara bisadaqatin aw
maAAroofin aw islahin bayna alnnasi waman yafAAal thalika ibtighaa mardati
Allahi fasawfa nu/teehi ajran AAatheeman
Qur'an 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.[5] Another example of this sudden change
in person and number is exhibited in the following verse:
“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”
Huwa allathee yusayyirukum fee albarri waalbahri hatta itha kuntum fee alfulki
wajarayna bihim bireehin tayyibatin wafarihoo biha jaat-ha reehun AAasifun
wajaahumu almawju min kulli makanin wathannoo annahum oheeta bihim
daAAawoo Allaha mukhliseena lahu alddeena la-in anjaytana min hathihi
lanakoonanna mina alshshakireena
Qur'an 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.”[6]
These shifts contribute to dynamic style of the Qur’an. It 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 (semantically driven) while enhancing
the impact of the message it conveys.[7] It is not surprising that Neal Robinson
concluded that the grammatical shifts used in the Qur’an:
"…are a very effective rhetorical device."[8]
Orientalists in the past such as Noldeke stated that some of these changes in
person and number occur abruptedly.[9] This misconception has been shown to
be a superficial understanding of classical Arabic.[10] The changes that are made
in the Qur’anic discourse are made according to an effective pattern. The Arab
scholars in the past exclaimed that rather than being a peculiarity of the Arabic
language, it is an effective rhetorical tool. [11] The Qur’an is the only form of
Arabic prose to have used this rhetorical device in an extensive and complex
manner. Abdel 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'ān”[12]
References
[1] Muhammed Abdel Haleem, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African
Studies, 1992, Volume LV, Part 3. Please click here for an electronic copy.
[2] Ibid. Please see H, Abdul-Raof. 2003. Exploring the Qur'an. Al-Maktoum
Institute Academic Press and H. Abdul-Raof. 2000. Qur'an Translation:
Discourse, Texture and Exegesis. Curzon Press.
[3] Muhammed Abdel Haleem. 1999. Understanding the Qur’an: Themes &
Styles. I. B.Tauris Publishers.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Muhammed Abdel Haleem. 2004. The Qur'an: A New Translation.
Introduction. Oxford University Press.
[6] Neal Robinson. 2004. Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to
a Veiled Text. Georgetown University Press. Please click here for an electronic
copy of the relevant section.
[7] See foot note [2]
[8] Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text.
[9] Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 1992, Volume LV, Part
3.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text.
[12] Ibid.
By Hamza Tzortzis
hamza.tzortzis@theinimitablequran.com
Professor Abdel Haleem in his article 'Grammatical Shift for Rhetorical Purposes:
Iltifat and Related Features in the Qur'an' [1] brought to attention, that another
inimitable feature of the Qur'an, is the extensive use of grammatical shifts. This
feature is an effective rhetorical device that enhances the texts literary expression
and achieves the communicative goal;[2] it is an accepted, well researched part
of Arabic rhetoric. One can find references in the books of balagha (rhetoric) by
al-Athir, Suyuti and Zarkashi.[3]
These grammatical shifts include changes in person, change in number, change
in addressee, change in tense, change in case marker, using a noun in place or a
pronoun and many other changes. [4] An example of this complex rhetorical
feature is exhibited in the following verse. 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.”
La khayra fee katheerin min najwahum illa man amara bisadaqatin aw
maAAroofin aw islahin bayna alnnasi waman yafAAal thalika ibtighaa mardati
Allahi fasawfa nu/teehi ajran AAatheeman
Qur'an 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.[5] Another example of this sudden change
in person and number is exhibited in the following verse:
“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”
Huwa allathee yusayyirukum fee albarri waalbahri hatta itha kuntum fee alfulki
wajarayna bihim bireehin tayyibatin wafarihoo biha jaat-ha reehun AAasifun
wajaahumu almawju min kulli makanin wathannoo annahum oheeta bihim
daAAawoo Allaha mukhliseena lahu alddeena la-in anjaytana min hathihi
lanakoonanna mina alshshakireena
Qur'an 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.”[6]
These shifts contribute to dynamic style of the Qur’an. It 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 (semantically driven) while enhancing
the impact of the message it conveys.[7] It is not surprising that Neal Robinson
concluded that the grammatical shifts used in the Qur’an:
"…are a very effective rhetorical device."[8]
Orientalists in the past such as Noldeke stated that some of these changes in
person and number occur abruptedly.[9] This misconception has been shown to
be a superficial understanding of classical Arabic.[10] The changes that are made
in the Qur’anic discourse are made according to an effective pattern. The Arab
scholars in the past exclaimed that rather than being a peculiarity of the Arabic
language, it is an effective rhetorical tool. [11] The Qur’an is the only form of
Arabic prose to have used this rhetorical device in an extensive and complex
manner. Abdel 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'ān”[12]
References
[1] Muhammed Abdel Haleem, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African
Studies, 1992, Volume LV, Part 3. Please click here for an electronic copy.
[2] Ibid. Please see H, Abdul-Raof. 2003. Exploring the Qur'an. Al-Maktoum
Institute Academic Press and H. Abdul-Raof. 2000. Qur'an Translation:
Discourse, Texture and Exegesis. Curzon Press.
[3] Muhammed Abdel Haleem. 1999. Understanding the Qur’an: Themes &
Styles. I. B.Tauris Publishers.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Muhammed Abdel Haleem. 2004. The Qur'an: A New Translation.
Introduction. Oxford University Press.
[6] Neal Robinson. 2004. Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to
a Veiled Text. Georgetown University Press. Please click here for an electronic
copy of the relevant section.
[7] See foot note [2]
[8] Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text.
[9] Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 1992, Volume LV, Part
3.
[10] Ibid.
[11] Discovering the Qur'an: A Contemporary Approach to a Veiled Text.
[12] Ibid.