SYNTACTIC DEVIATION AND ITS RHETORICAL IMPLICATIONS IN ‘ILM AL-MAʿĀNĪ – A STUDY OF JUZʾ TABĀRAK

العدول في البِنى التركيبيّة ودِلالاتها البلاغيّة في علم المعاني (جزء تبارك أنموذجًا)

Abstract

This research focuses on the study of syntactic deviation (ʿudūl) within sentence structures, based on the discipline of syntax, which examines how words are arranged within a sentence and the grammatical and semantic relationships between them. Any alteration to this system naturally results in a shift in meaning. Syntactic deviation is not a random violation of normative structures but rather a deliberate rhetorical and contextual choice that serves specific communicative purposes. The main objective of the study is to explore the rhetorical implications of such deviations by analyzing examples from Juzʾ Tabārak and evaluating the effect of these phenomena on the expressiveness and stylistic richness of the text. Sentences cannot be fully understood in isolation; their meanings shift according to context. Thus, syntactic deviation serves to direct, enrich, and intensify the intended message. The research is divided into four main sections: The first section examines deviation in both declarative (khabari) and imperative (inshāʾi) structures, analyzing their rhetorical functions. The second section explores the impact of word order shifts (taqdīm wa-taʾkhīr), and how they attract attention and emphasize certain meanings. The third section focuses on ellipsis (ḥadhf), discussing its role in conciseness, subtlety, and mental engagement. The fourth section is dedicated to the stylistic feature of iltifāt (grammatical shift), one of the richest and most expressive forms of syntactic deviation. The study concludes that syntactic deviation, in its various forms, plays a significant role in enhancing textual cohesion and semantic density, while also highlighting the beauty and diversity of Qur’anic expression.