The Rhetorical Preference of Quran’s Different Chapters Mehrnoosh Eslami
3. Results and Discussions
The results obtained in this study along with the related analyses and discussions are provided in this section. First, some instances of the results are discussed, and then the total results are presented in the table followed by the relevant discussions.
3.1. Results
The following section incorporate the information related to the profile patterning of two Quran Chapters. The rhetorical profile patterning of these Chapters is more justified and explained by the elaboration of their subject matter and the order of subject(s) occurrence.
The Holy Chapter of Zuxrof (Quran: 43)
This chapter is Makki covering seven pages. Therefore, it is included in the first category of LM (Long Makki).
The main point (topic sentence) of this Chapter elaborates on the truth of Quran, Prophets, Hereafter (as divine Principles), and the warning against those who belie these principles. Referring to the Chapter, we see that Allah, from the very beginning, puts the most emphasis on these principles and warns beliers against their evil deeds. At the primary Verses of this Chapter, Allah elaborates on these principles and put blame on those who are inattentive to them. In order to verify the point, Allah makes mention of ancient nations (The people of Holy Moses and Jesus) who belied divine principles and how they were seized by Allah’s wrath. Finally, this Chapter reemphasizes the main point reminding Holy Muhammad that you should not be too in care of them, since they will not believe in divine principles but they will know very soon [the consequences of what they did] (43: 88-89).
As indicated by the above explanations, we see that this Chapter is elaborated and constructed, from the beginning to the end, in a strong content unity. All sections and sub-sections of this Chapter support a single main point. Nowhere in the Chapter can one detect any digression neither is changed the main
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topic controlling the content of the chapter in any point of it. Therefore, this Chapter is constructed and elaborated in a linear pattern of profile supporting and verifying a single point of discussion.
The Holy Chapter of Nur (Quran: 24)
This Chapter is Madani. It covers ten pages, so it is one of the chapters included in the second category of LMD (Long Madani).
This Chapter presents some Divine commands legislated (in Chesterman’s (1988) words) by Allah for human life in a list of order. The commands are mostly about the conjugal and private life and how these issues to be observed and respected by others (strangers). The commands of different subjects are listed all over the Chapter. Some of the divine commands legislated in this Chapter include:
1- The list of commands related to fornication punishment and witnessing (24: 2-9)
2- The list of commands related to the necessity of asking permission for entering other’s houses (24: 27- 29).
3- The list of commands related to marriage and casting veil (24: 30-33).
4- The list of commands related to asking permission for interrupting the conjugal privacy of others (24: 58-61).
According to the above-numerated lists of commands, we see that this Chapter follows the Listing profile according to Chesterman’s (1988, p.27) framework. It should also be mentioned that the Listing profile is not the only profile pattern applied in this chapter. Parallelism is the other profile that is found in this Chapter, although not as dominant as the Listing one. Mentioning the lists of commands, Allah, now and then, reminds the interlocutors of the difference between two opposite groups of those who are true believers observing the commands and those who show hypocrisy in their belief disobeying the commands. Some traces of Parallelism in this Chapter include;
1- The description of the life of those who are living according to the divine lights (commandments) and that of those who disobey the divine commands (24: 36-40).
2- The distinction between true/instable believers in terms of obeying/disobeying the divine commands (24: 47-57).
Therefore, we reach the conclusion that this Chapter follows a profile pattern of dominant Listing accompanied by a Parallel one. The profile of this Chapter can be introduced as Listing (Parallelism). The following table presents other profile patterns of other Quran’s Chapters as follows;
Table 1: The profile patterning of holy Quran’s Chapters Categ. Chapters Page
Numbers Main point Profile
LMD Ma-ede
(5) 13 Observing Allah’s mottos/ commitments Listing (Spiral)
LMD Nur
(24)
6 Divine commands and the way true/false believers approach them
Listing (Parallel)
SMD Jom-e
(62) 1
To prefer Allah’s affairs to all others and the consequences of the neglectful ones
Linear
SMD Nᴂsr
(110) 1 The victory of Allah’s religion and the necessity of being thankful for it Linear SMD Hojorat
(49) 2 To be obedient to Allah and his Messenger Listing
SMD Momtᴂhene
(60) 2 How to make relationship with friends and enemies Linear(listing-parallel)
LM Yunos
(10) 7 The truth of belying or believing in it Vahy and the consequences of Linear (parallel)
LM Saffat
(37) 5 The oneness of Allah and the consequences of Sherk Linear
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LM ᴂnkᴂbut
(29)
5 Believing in Allah requires taking pains and hardships for Him
Linear
LM ᴂraf
(7) 15 The truth of Quran and the fake nature of other gods Digressive (listing-parallel- spiral)
LM ᴂnbia
(21) 5
The truth of Quran, Messengers, Hereafter,
and the consequences of belying it Linear LM Zoxrof (43)
6
The truth of Quran, Messengers, Hereafter,
and the consequences of belying it Linear
SM Hejr
(15)
3 The truth of Quran and the punishments of beliers
Linear (parallel) SM Shoura (42) 4 The truth of Vahy and the consequences of
belying it
Linear (parallel) SM Zhariat (51) 2 Devine Promises and the annihilation of
cruelers
Linear
SM Nᴂjm
(53)
2 The emphasis on the truth of Vahy Linear
SM Qᴂdr
(97)
1 The revelation of Quran Linear
SM Fᴂlᴂq (113) 1 To take refuge with Allah Linear
SM Leil
(92)
1 The distinction between the
obedient/disobedient
Parallel
SM Yasin
(36)
3 The consequences of belying Quran and Messengers
Linear
SM Haaqᴂ (69) 2 The truth of Hereafter and Quran’s
promises
Linear (parallel)
SM Ensheqaq
(84)
1 The Day of Judgment and the Repayment process
Parallel SM Shᴂms (91) 1 The creature of the world and Human-
being
Linear
SM Nas
(114)
1 To take refuge with Allah Linear
SM Exlas (112) 1 The oneness of Allah Linear
SM Kothar (108) 1 Allah’s blessing and the necessity of being thankful to Him
Linear The discussions related to the above-presented table are provided in the following section.
3.2. Discussions
The discussions of this study are carried out based on the distinction between Quran’s Chapters (Makki and Madani) and the four categories identified in this study as follows:
As the above-presented table indicates, the most common rhetorical profile patterning according to which Quran’s Chapters are constructed is Linearity. As Chesterman (1988) believes, the main characteristic of this profile is the unity and homogeneity that the elements of the text conserve. As evident in the table above, almost all Makki Chapters (%85) are constructed and elaborated in a linear fashion. Makki Chapters, according to Marefat (1999), mostly elaborate on the clarification of Islamic Beliefs, the Principles of Islam, the rejection of Sherk, and the belief in holy divine Messengers and the phenomenon of the Day of Judgment. Therefore, the linear (%85) nature of Makki Chapters (M) is
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explainable by the fact that since Allah stated the foundation of Islam and Beliefs in these Chapters, he constructed them with strong unity in subject, in order to be out of any dubiety and skepticism. The other profile patterning found in Makki Chapter is Parallelism (%15). Investigating the content of Makki Chapters, we reached the conclusion that those chapters that elaborate on Islamic Principles such as the truth of Touhid (the oneness of Allah), Vahy, Quran, Messengers, and the Hereafter follow the Linearity pattern, while those that distinguish believers/unbelievers or the obedient/disobedient follow the Parallelism pattern. For example, in Exlas Chapter (112), comprising of four verses, Quran speaks about the oneness of Allah (verse 1), His absolute independence (verse 2), He begetteth not, nor is He begotten (verse 3), and there is none like unto Him (verse 4). As we can see in the content of this holy Verse, all of the four verses address the oneness of Allah. This is what Chesterman (1988) calls it the unity of content of the linear text. Leil Chapter (92), on the other hand, follows the parallel pattern. As Chesterman (1998, p.172) believes in the pattern of parallelism, the texts “proceeds in a series of balanced pairs of predications, for instance reflecting contrasts or different facets of a single theme”. In Leil Chapter, for example, we can see the track of these kinds of balanced pairs of predictions and contrasts in which Allah juxtaposes different people of opposite sides elaborating on the consequences of what they do. For example, parallel profiles tracked in this holy chapter are as follows:
Those who spend/not spent the poor (5-8)
Those who confirms/belies the reward of the deeds (6-9)
Those who will be roasted in the flaming Fire/ will be far away from it (14-17)
Madani Chapters (MD), on the other hand, follows the same equal rate of profile patterning of Linearity (%50) and Listing (%50). The decrease in the rate of Linearity in Madani Chapters, in comparison to Makki ones, can be explained by the fact that since Madani Chapters are not that concerned of Islamic Principles but of social rules and laws, Allah made also use of Listing profile in these Chapters. In Listing profile, according to Chesterman (1988), all of the predications which are co- ordinated are subordinated to a single predication. As mentioned above, in Nur Chapter, Allah made use of a complete Listing profile elaborating on the conjugal and private life and how these issues to be observed and respected by others (strangers). Listing profiles found in Nur Chapter are as follows:
List of the different ways of taking witness before punishing a person accused of fornication (2-9). List of how to ask permission for entering others’ houses (27-29).
The list of commands related to marriage and casting veil (30-33).
The list of commands related to asking permission for interrupting the conjugal privacy of others (58-61).
In all of the above-mentioned lists of Nur Chapters, we see that all of them are subordinated to a single theme i.e. the laws of conjugal/private life.