Introduction to BALAAGHA Art of Eloquence Lesson Four

1. Introduction to BALAAGHA Art of EloquenceLesson Four From AL-BALAAGHA AL-WAADHEHA Modifications by Sheikh Safdar Razi

2. Expressing in Exaggeration • Light: 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)?

3. Moderate وَلاَ تَمْشِ فِي الأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّكَ لَن تَخْرِقَ الأَرْضَ وَلَن تَبْلُغَ الْجِبَالَ طُولاً [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.

4. Extreme إِنَّ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُواْ بِآيَاتِنَا وَاسْتَكْبَرُواْ عَنْهَا لاَ تُفَتَّحُ لَهُمْ أَبْوَابُ السَّمَاء وَلاَ يَدْخُلُونَ الْجَنَّةَ حَتَّى يَلِجَ الْجَمَلُ فِي سَمِّ الْخِيَاطِ وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُجْرِمِينَ • [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.

5. Method of the Wise • Diversion 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.

6. Method of the Wise يَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الأهِلَّةِ قُلْ هِيَ مَوَاقِيتُ لِلنَّاسِ وَالْحَجِّ وَلَيْسَ الْبِرُّ بِأَنْ تَأْتُوْاْ الْبُيُوتَ مِن ظُهُورِهَا وَلَـكِنَّ الْبِرَّ مَنِ اتَّقَى وَأْتُواْ الْبُيُوتَ مِنْ أَبْوَابِهَا وَاتَّقُواْ اللّهَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تُفْلِحُونَ • [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.

7. 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.

8. Eloquence of the TypesHow do the words and the meanings by using in certain way bring attraction to the listener)

9. 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.

10. The Index of Science of BAYAAN • TASHBEEH (simile) • Types of TASHBEEH • The TASHBEEH of TAMTHEEL • The TASHBEEH of DHIMNEE • The Purpose of TASHBEEH • The MAQLOOB (inverse) TASHBEEH • The eloquence of TASHBEEH • The HAQEEQA (real) and the MAJAAZ (Metaphor) • The ISTIA’AARAH TASREEHE (Explicit) and the ISTIA’AARAH MAKNI (implicative or indicative) • The ISTIA’AARAH TAMTHEELE • MAJAAZ MORSAL (disconnected or unrelated metaphor) • The eloquence of ISTIA’AARAH • The eloquence of the intellectual (AQLE) and unconnected (MORSAL) metaphor • The KINAAYAH (implication) • The eloquence of KINAAYAH

11. TASHBEEH ALYON SHOJAA’ KAL ASAD Ali is brave like a lion

12. 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)

13. AT-TASHBEEH – Simile Components 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”

14. 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