An Analysis of the Rhetorical-Exegetical Functions of Kināyah in Al-Ṭabrisī’s Majmaʿ al-Bayān

Dastranj, Fatemeh; Razzaq Al-Hilali, Dhaifullah

doi:10.22034/isqs.2026.55037.2518

An Analysis of the Rhetorical-Exegetical Functions of Kināyah in Al-Ṭabrisī’s Majmaʿ al-Bayān

Articles in Press

Document Type : Promotional

Authors

Fatemeh Dastranj ¹

Dhaifullah Razzaq Al-Hilali ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, University of Arak

² phd student

10.22034/isqs.2026.55037.2518

Abstract

Kināyah is one of the most significant rhetorical modes of the Holy Qur’an. Beyond producing verbal beauty, it deepens meaning, expands semantic indication, and guides the reader toward the implicit layers of the text. This study analyzes the rhetorical-exegetical functions of kināyah in al-Ṭabrisī’s Majmaʿ al-Bayān and seeks to show that, in this commentary, kināyah is not merely a literary device or a means of softening expression, but an exegetical method for uncovering the semantic capacities of Qur’anic verses. The study adopts an inductive-analytical approach, examining selected instances of kināyah in al-Ṭabrisī’s exegesis on the basis of rhetorical, semantic, and interpretive principles. The findings indicate that kināyah in Majmaʿ al-Bayān performs four major functions: reinforcing the rhetorical inimitability of the Qur’an; expanding meaning at purposive, causal, attributive, symbolic, and conditional levels; employing allusion instead of explicit expression to preserve Qur’anic decorum and sanctity; and producing semantic intensification to increase the psychological impact of meaning. The study concludes that al-Ṭabrisī establishes a systematic relationship between rhetoric and exegesis through his analysis of kināyah.

Keywords

Kināyah, rhetorical function, Qur’anic exegesis, al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-Bayān, rhetorical inimitability, semantics

Subjects