Extended Abstract
Research Objective
This study examines and analyzes the purposeful deployment of explicit metaphor (istiʿārah muṣarraḥah) in Surah al‑Baqarah (Qurʾān 2) as one of the intricate and artful subsystems of the Qurʾān’s expressive structure, with particular emphasis on the rhetorical pattern of “expressing the intelligible in terms of the sensible.” The overarching aim of the research is to present a comprehensive and multilayered analysis in the following dimensions:
1. Identifying approximative rhetorical mechanisms by analyzing the process through which the Qurʾān skillfully conveys concepts such as guidance, misguidance, hypocrisy, hardness of heart, faith, divine mercy, and the consequences of human actions—concepts that require intellectual reflection—through sensory representations such as sealing, disease, buying and selling, stone, sheath, color, and garment. The study seeks to elucidate how these sensory forms function as a bridge between the limited human intellect and infinite divine meanings, thereby enhancing comprehensibility and conceptual durability.
2. Clarifying ultimate aims and psychological–pedagogical functions by uncovering the deep semantic implications and educational purposes embedded in each metaphor. For instance, the research examines the purpose of portraying misguidance as an “unprofitable trade”: is it not intended to evoke a sense of loss and awaken the human conscience? Accordingly, the study investigates the emotional charge (fear, hope, aversion) generated by each sensory image and its influence on the audience’s subconscious and volitional orientation toward virtue or away from vice.
3. Evaluating the role of metaphor in realizing the Qurʾān’s rhetorical inimitability, as a central component of its artistic and eloquent miracle. The study demonstrates that this technique is not a coincidental verbal embellishment but a deliberate and wise rhetorical choice, one that accords with human nature—which initially engages the world through sensory perception—while possessing such richness that it rendered even the most eloquent Arab rhetoricians incapable of producing its like. The analysis shows how this device simultaneously achieves brevity and density (a single word in place of multiple sentences), stimulates imagination and imagery, and elevates discourse from the mere transmission of information to the creation of an intuitive, experiential understanding.
4. Establishing a connection between classical rhetoric and modern linguistic studies: A secondary yet significant objective is to situate the findings of Islamic rhetorical theory within a systematic framework and, at times, in dialogue with contemporary approaches such as Lakoff and Johnson’s conceptual metaphor theory. The study explores whether Qurʾānic examples can be analyzed in terms of a sensory source domain and an intellectual target domain, a perspective that may enrich interpretation and offer a renewed reading of the Qurʾān’s expressive capacities.
Research Methodology The study adopts a descriptive–analytical methodology, examining the data through a rhetorical–linguistic approach. The research proceeds through the following stages: 1. Selection of verses: Identifying verses in Surah al‑Baqarah that contain explicit metaphors of the intelligible‑to‑sensible type. 2. Identification of metaphorical structure: Reformulating metaphorical expressions as similes and extracting their components (subject of comparison, object of comparison, and the ground of comparison). 3. Analysis of semantic implications: Uncovering the deeper conceptual meanings and the pedagogical and guidance‑oriented purposes embedded in each metaphor. 4. Comparative rhetorical analysis: Drawing upon the views of Qurʾānic exegetes and classical rhetoricians (such as al‑Zamakhsharī, ʿAllāmeh Ṭabāṭabāʾī, and al‑Suyūṭī), alongside insights from Lakoff and Johnson’s cognitive metaphor theory, to enrich the analysis.
Research Findings The findings may be summarized in several dimensions: 1. Frequency and diversity of metaphors: In Surah al‑Baqarah, 22 verses containing explicit metaphors of the intelligible‑to‑sensible type were identified, 12 of which were analyzed in detail. These verses express concepts such as guidance, misguidance, hypocrisy, hardness of heart, faith, and marital relations through sensory imagery. 2. Rhetorical and pedagogical functions of metaphor: - Concretization of abstract concepts: Notions such as guidance, hypocrisy, and hardness of heart are rendered tangible through images like sealing of the heart, disease of the heart, and stone‑heartedness. - Emotional and psychological impact: Images such as buying misguidance, covering truth with falsehood, and divine color not only exhibit aesthetic value but also exert profound influence on the audience’s inner disposition. - Depiction of the consequences of actions: Metaphors such as the footsteps of Satan and the sheath of the heart vividly portray the moral and eschatological destiny of human beings. 3. The role of metaphor in Qurʾānic exegesis: Metaphorical analysis reveals the underlying structure of the verses and elevates their apparent meanings to deeper doctrinal and ethical levels. For example: - “Sealing of the hearts” (Qurʾān 2:7) → signifies the disbelievers’ impermeability to truth. - “Trade of misguidance” (Qurʾān 2:16) → symbolizes human agency and responsibility in choosing a path, as well as the cost incurred by such choice. - “Women are a garment for men” (Qurʾān 2:187) → expresses the comforting, complementary, and protective functions of marriage.
Conclusion This study demonstrates that explicit metaphor constitutes one of the most subtle and effective rhetorical instruments of the Qurʾān for conveying intellectual and abstract truths to the human mind. Through this technique, the Qurʾān not only manifests its rhetorical inimitability but also situates the audience within a concrete, sensory framework that facilitates clear perception of transcendent realities. The principal contributions of the study include: - Identifying the artistic dimensions of the Qurʾān in integrating the intelligible with the sensible. - Clarifying the role of metaphor in moral education and guidance through its influence on the subconscious mind. - Emphasizing the necessity of rhetorical reflection in Qurʾānic exegesis for accessing deeper layers of meaning. This research represents a step toward reassessing the capacities of Islamic rhetorical sciences in engaging with the Qurʾānic text and in dialoguing with contemporary cognitive‑linguistic theories in the analysis of Qurʾānic metaphors.