Allāhu muḥīṭun li’l-kāfirīn. • Yakādu al-barqu yakhṭafu abṣārahum kullamā aḍā’a la-hum mashaw fī-hi wa idhā aẓlama ‘alayhim qāmū wa-law shā’a Allāhu la-dhahaba bi-sam‘ihim wa abṣārihim, innā Allāhu ‘alā kulli shay’in qadīr.)

Consider this: The Qur’an’s miraculous inimitability is founded on the eloquence of its composition (naẓm), and the eloquence of its composition is of two sorts: the first is like decoration and the second like a garment.

The First Sort resembles strung pearls, finely worked decoration, and embroidery studded with gems. It is derived from following the grammatical and verbal meanings of a speech, like molten gold running among lumps of silver. The exposition of the subtle points that are the fruits of this sort of eloquence has been undertaken by fann [‘ilm] al-ma‘ānī.

The Second Sort is like a costly gown or robe of honour, cut out according to the stature of the meanings, sewn from different pieces with regular stitches, and clothed altogether on the meaning, or on the story, or the aim. This sort’s craftsman and master is fann [‘ilm] al-bayān.

One of the most important questions of this [latter] sort is that of parabolic comparisons (tamthīl). [^35] The Qur’an contains as many as a thousand, for such comparisons contain a subtle mystery and are elevated wisdom. Yes, through them delusion is overcome by reason, imagination is compelled to submit to thought, the hidden is made present, the abstract made tangible, and the meaning made palpable, the disparate are brought together, the various are blended, the diverse united, the sundered connected, and the defenceless armed. If you want to hear a detailed discussion, then listen along with me to what the author of Dalā’il al-I‘jāz chants in Asrār al-Balāgha, [^36] when he says:

[^35]:Tamthīl may be translated as comparison, or parabolic comparison, or analogical representation.

[^36]:‘Abd al-Qāhir al-Jurjānī (d. 471/1078). He was pre-eminent in the fields of Arabic language and rhetoric. For this passage, see, M. Rashīd Riḍā (ed.), Asrār al-Balāgha (Cairo: Dār al-Manār, 1367/1947), 92-6.

On the Appropriate and Effective Use

of Parabolic Comparisons

The intelligent (‘uqalā’) agree that when comparisons come after the meanings, or when the meanings emerge on being summarized by comparisons, and are transposed from their original forms to that of the compari-