Introduction to BALAAGHA Art of Eloquence

Lesson Four

From AL-BALAAGHA AL-WAADHEHA

Modifications by

Sheikh Safdar Razi

Expressing in ExaggerationLight: Something can happen and people do it.

E.g. I am stuffed when you are satisfied and still can eat (when you eat with full stomach)

Moderate: Something can happen but no one does it. I can eat a horse (in extreme hunger). I’m dead (for exhausted person) or its going to kill me (when buying something very expensive). You are killing me (When a joke or extremely funny thing is said)

Extreme: Something cannot happen. E.g. Its hot like hell (It is impossible to touch the hell in this world).

Are you God (for some one judging people without evidence)?

Moderate

[Shakir 17:37] And do not go about in the land exultingly, for you cannot cut through the earth nor reach the mountains in height.

A person cannot become taller than the mountain or breech the earth and come out from other side (extreme)

But if we say reaching the mountains top, then it could be moderate because not every one does that, and the same is for cutting through the earth could be going deep in the ground.

3ْخ7ِر5َق3 َت 3ن َل =َك3 5َّن ِإ ا Aًح َم3ِر3 ْر7ِض53 اَأل ِف5ي 3ْم7ِش5 َت 3 َو3َال

A ُطOوَال 3اَل3 َب 7ِج5 اَل Oَغ3 7ُل 3َب َت 3ن َو3َل ْر7ِض33 اَأل

Extreme

[Shakir 7:40] Surely (as for) those who reject Our communications and turn away from them haughtily, the doors of heaven shall not be opened for them, nor shall they enter the garden until the camel pass through the eye of the needle; and thus do We reward the guilty.

Oُح= Oَف3َّت َت 3 َال 7َه3ا َع3ْن 7 َوا O3ِر 7َب 3ْك َّت َو3اْس7 3ا 5ْن 3اَت 5آَي ِب 7 Oوا 3َّذ=ِب َك =َّذ5َين3 اَل 5َّن= ِإ5َج3 3ُل َي =ى َّت ًح3 =َة3 ْن 7ِج3 اَل ُلOوَّن3 O3ْد7ُخ َي 3 َو3َال ْم3اء اَلَّس= O7و3اُب ِب

3 َأ 3َهOْم7 َل3ِج7ِز5ي َّن 5َك3 3َّذ3َل َو3َك 3اِط5 َي 7ْخ5 اَل tْم ْس3 ِف5ي O7ِج3ْم3ُل اَل

7ْمOِج7ِر5َم5َين3 اَل

Method of the WiseDiversion of the answer

When a wise person feels uncomfortable in answering a question directly then either his answer to the question is differently or he changes the subject.

There are many methods the wise use to answer questions differently including:

How much Salary do you Make? Alhumdullah Allah blessed me with enough

Can I have your daughter’s hand? She is studying in the University right now.

Method of the Wise

[Shakir 2:189] They ask you concerning the new moon. Say: They are times appointed for (the benefit of) men, and (for) the pilgrimage; and it is not righteousness that you should enter the houses at their backs, but righteousness is this that one should guard (against evil); and go into the houses by their doors and be careful (of your duty) to Allah, that you may be successful.

In the example of the Quran, the companions asked the Prophet about the Crescent. They asked why is it small, becomes a full moon, then becomes small. These are astronomical questions that requires details, thus Quran changed direction to the purpose of the Crescent. It answered that Crescent are tools of timing for worship and business.

The Quran diverted the attention from why the Crescent changes to what we can benefit from the crescent.

t7َح3َج َو3اَل =اِس5 5ُلْن َل Oَم3و3اِق5َيُت ِه5ي3 ِقOُل7 =َة5 اَألِه5ُل َع3ن5 3َك3 Oوَّن 3َل َأ 3َّس7 َيَم3ن5 5ِر= 7َب اَل ْك5ن= ـ3 َو3َل ُظOَهOوْر5ِه3ا َم5ن Oوَت3 Oَي 7َب اَل 7 Oو7ا َت

7 3َأ َت َّن73 5َأ ِب �5ِر 7َب اَل 7َس3 3َي َو3َل

5َحOوَّن3 Oَف7ُل َت Oْم7 =ْك 3َع3ُل َل �َه3 اَلُل 7 =ُقOوا َو3اَت 5َه3ا 7و3اِب ِب3 َأ َم5ن7 Oوَت3 Oَي 7َب اَل 7 Oوا 7َت َو3َأ =ُق3ى اَت

Emphasizing the Praise with Expected Condemnation and Opposite

A way of emphasizing the praise, is done by presenting a praise followed by a (negative) conjunction, followed by praise to emphasize the praise.

Kazim is so neat and tidy but he is smart.

There is no defect in him except that he is unique.

This type of praise which is similar to condemning is divided into two types;

Type A: The Excluded praise is part of the general praise that the sentence has.

The morals of that youth is excellent but he is generous and spends his wealth in generosity.

Type B: Excluded Description is different than the previous category of description.

He is an excellent donor but he is a scholar

Condemnation can be emphasized similarly:

Type A: Excluded Condemnation is part of the general condemned content.

The lecture week, but it is boring.

Type B: Excluded Description is different than the previous category of description.

People are miser but coward.

Eloquence of the Types

How do the words and the meanings by using in certain way bring attraction to the listener)

Eloquence of BADEE’As mentioned in the beginning that

BADEE’ is presenting a structure of sentence by choosing a proper word which has certain beauty in itself as a structure such as;

The arrangements of alphabetical rules or

In Its meaning such as choosing the opposite meanings with the similarity in the structure of the word or sentence.

Thus ILMUL BADEE’ focuses on the structure and how to present its beauty to the listener.

The Index of Science of BAYAAN1. TASHBEEH (simile)

2. Types of TASHBEEH

1. The TASHBEEH of TAMTHEEL

2. The TASHBEEH of DHIMNEE

3. The Purpose of TASHBEEH

1. The MAQLOOB (inverse) TASHBEEH

2. The eloquence of TASHBEEH

4. The HAQEEQA (real) and the MAJAAZ (Metaphor)

5. The ISTIA’AARAH TASREEHE (Explicit) and the ISTIA’AARAH MAKNI (implicative or indicative)

6. The ISTIA’AARAH TAMTHEELE

7. MAJAAZ MORSAL (disconnected or unrelated metaphor)

8. The eloquence of ISTIA’AARAH

9. The eloquence of the intellectual (AQLE) and unconnected (MORSAL) metaphor

10. The KINAAYAH (implication)

11. The eloquence of KINAAYAH

TASHBEEHALYON SHOJAA’ KAL ASAD

Ali is brave like a lion

MOSHABBAH

(Described One)

MOSHABBAH BEHE

(Source of description)

ADAAT

(Particle of similarity)

WAJH-OSHABAH

(Point of similarity)

ALYON ASAD KAAF SHOJAAH

Ali Lion Is like Bravery

AT-TASHBEEH – Simile

Components of TASHBEEH:

Aliyun Shujaa’un Kal Asadi (Ali is brave like A Lion)

1. MOSHABBAH (Described) Aliyun (Ali)

2. MOSHABBAH BEHE (Source of Description) Al-Asad (Lion)

3. WAJH-OSHABAH (Point of Similarity, Description itself) – Shujaa’un (brave)

4. Particles of Similarity : “Kaa” (is like)

AT-TASHBEEH – SimileComponents of TASHBEEH:

Mohammadun Wajhuhu Muneerun Mithla Al-’Amar (Mohammad His Face is bright like the moon)

(The face of Mohammad is bright like the moon)

1. MOSHABBAH (Described) Wajhuhu

2. MOSHABBAH BEHE (Source of Description) Al-Qamar

3. WAJH-OSHABAH (Point of Similarity, Description itself) – Muneerun

4. (Adat) – Tools - Particles of Similarity : “Misla”

AT-TASHBEEH – Simile

We use AT-TASHBEEH to elucidate the concept that the description in the source is more obvious than the described one.

Bravery is more obvious in a lion then in Ali