The Rhetorical Structure of the Holy Qur'an: A Study of Surahs Al-Baqarah, Al-Nahl, Al-Naml, Al-Ankabut, and Al-Fil

The core structure of religious education is oppositional in nature, involving the confrontation between good and bad, and between good and evil. On the other hand, the means of transmitting religion inevitably require a combination of direct and indirect expression, and the most effective model for such transmission is speech. In this framework, one party is the addresser (speaker), and the other is the addressee (audience), with the speech text serving as the link between them. In religious discourse, as found in scriptural traditions, followers are invited to perform good actions and refrain from bad ones, which are conveyed through sub-narratives and allegories with multiple purposes, delivering the message indirectly. The findings show that in the speech pattern (ranging from zero to eight structural parts), the beginning and end of the speech emphasize its thematic core. The addressees appear either directly in the second-person singular and plural forms, or indirectly, referring to the Prophet (PBUH), specific tribes, followers of other religions, or previous prophets, who are addressed from opposing perspectives. Furthermore, in explaining and persuading the audience, parables and relevant portions of prophetic narratives—appropriate to the context and situation—are employed. The message of these surahs extends beyond the immediate topic of discussion. Rather, through a powerful thematic unity, they establish guidance in contrast to misguidance. The audience of the revealed messages is also trans-temporal and trans-spatial, and can be considered a macro-audience.

کلیدواژه ها:

Holy Quran ، Speech ، Signs ، Narrative ، Message