Rhetorical Connotations of “ʔinnamaa” in the Prophetic Discourse Context

Abstract

Abstract

 This above-titled research has an introduction including the current study significance, scope, and structure, objectives, and methods (descriptive-analytical), and previous studies; a preface about the Prophet’s eloquence -peace be upon him- and his stylistic characteristics in hadith; a section addressing the style of briefness among the fundamentalists and linguists, and a section addressing the connotations thereof in the prophetic discourse context; and a conclusion with the most prominent results. The grammarians and rhetoricians did not state the term “briefness” or its types and methods; it was referred to as specialness, exclusiveness, and exception. The basic meaning of “ʔinnamaa” is exclusiveness, indicating that the predicate is exclusive to the subject/topic solely, and is used for priorly known information to the addressee. However, this meaning is not fixed in all situations; the context and discourse requirements expand it to other connotations that emerge from the text in which it was used.

Keywords: Restriction method, ʔinnamaa, Prophetic Hadith, Rhetoric, Context.