دلالات المجاز المرسل في شواهد قرآنية

Abstract EN

It is well learned in the Science of al-Bayān that ta’bīr majāzi (figurative expression) will be employed and considered admirable only if it could bring about a significant meaning.

There are many types of ta’bīr majāzi in Arabic rhetorical sciences and one of them is known as al-Majāz al-Mursal.

Previous attempts to find out the occurrences of al-Majāz al-Mursal in the Holy Qurān have been observed to be confined to referring those occurrences of al-Majāz al-Mursal in the Qurānic verses to their relations but tended to overlook the significance of its use.

For instance, it is pointed out that al-Majāz al-Mursal occurs in Surah Yusuf verse 82 which means ʻʻand ask the town where we have been…ʼʼ and al-Majāz al-Mursal here has been referred to a relation known as al-maḥalliyyah which means ʻʻto mention a place but what is really meant from it is to refer somebody who occupies that placeʼʼ.

Thus, the interpretation of the verse: ʻʻand ask the (people of the) town where we have been…ʼʼ However, the significant of al-Majāz al-Mursal here has not been elaborately explained.

Why is the figurative expression: ʻʻand ask the town..ʼʼ employed and considered admirable in this verse instead of the actual expression ʻʻAnd ask the people of the town..ʼʼ ? It is obvious that the question is meant to be directed to ʻʻthe people of the town..ʼʼ and not ʻʻthe townʼʼ itself.

However, since the expression ʻʻask the town..ʼʼ is considered as figurative expression, its significant has to be explained intricately so that the wisdom of its occurrence could be comprehended.

Thus, the question that should be asked here is that: What is the significant of figurative expression ʻʻask the townʼʼ here and why is it preferable to the actual expression ʻʻask the people of the townʼʼ? Therefore, this research attempts to find out the significations of al-Majāz al-Mursal in the Holy Qurʾān in order to enhance the understanding of the subtleties of this feature of Qurʾānic style.

The study concludes that the aspect of eloquence has several meanings that come implicitly; the very characteristic that makes figurative expression more eloquent from the real expression.

Those meanings are either to explain matters, judgement, feeling, or description of two situations simultaneously; a strong indication that the al-Majāz al-Mursal is one of the most effective Quranic eloquence tools.