A REVIEW OF QURANIC RHETORIC STUDIES: TECHNIQUES AND LINGUISTIC FEATURES

Abstract

The Qur'an is the divine word of Allah, filled with guidance and advice that remains relevant to Muslims around the world. Most of the advice is conveyed through rhetorical approaches, namely Ilm Balaghah. The beauty and depth of this rhetorical art, however, call for comprehensive analysis to uncover the implied meanings embedded in the language. This study highlights the rhetorical richness of the Quran that demands special attention due to its complexity as a discipline, which requires a deep understanding of linguistic, cultural and contextual aspects for the proper interpretation of its message. The main objective of this paper is to review previous works that study the language style of the Qur'an, with a special focus on the rhetorical aspect, as well as to examine the need for further studies in the field. The study employs a qualitative method by conducting a scoping review, following the five core stages of Arksey and O’Malley’s (2005) framework to ensure a systematic and transparent approach in exploring Qur’anic rhetorical studies. This study has generally examined how the rhetorical art of balaghah is conveyed and interpreted in the Qur'an. Among the surahs analyzed are Surah al-A ‘raf, Surah Yasin, Surah Ali ‘Imran, and Surah al-Wāqi‘ah, all of which contain profound rhetorical elements. These elements include the use of rhetorical questions and deviations, as well as the application of the Ilm Ma'ani. These findings highlight not only the comprehensive nature of the Quran's rhetorical knowledge but also reveal the existence of gaps in the study of other Surahs as well as unexplored rhetorical aspects. Therefore, further studies are needed to specify rhetorical meanings contained in every verse of the Holy Quran in a more comprehensive and systematic manner.