Stylistic Devices (Uslūb Bayān) in Fundamental Qur'anic Verses on the Soul: The Universe, Knowledge, and the Scholar in Sirr al-Asrār

Abstract

This study examines the meanings of Qur’anic verses that serve as the foundation of Sheikh Abdul Qadir al-Jailani’s thought concerning the concepts of rūḥ, ʿālam, ʿilm, and ʿālim in Sirr al-Asrār through the perspective of ʿilm al-bayān, and analyzes their correspondence with al-Jailani’s ideas. The study employs a qualitative method with a textual study approach. The data consist of relevant Qur’anic verses collected through documentation and analyzed using ʿilm al-bayān, encompassing tashbīh, majāz, and kināyah. The analysis was conducted by identifying and classifying the rhetorical form of each verse, analyzing its textual-rhetorical meaning, examining al-Jailani’s interpretation of the corresponding concept, and comparing the two levels of meaning. The findings show that one verse uses tashbīh, five use majāz, and five use kināyah. Six of the eleven verses show correspondence with al-Jailani's interpretations. In contrast, the other five do not directly correspond to their textual-rhetorical meanings but demonstrate an extension of meaning toward the spiritual dimension. These findings indicate that al-Jailani's interpretations do not necessarily contradict the textual-rhetorical meanings of the verses but, in some cases, develop these meanings within a spiritual framework. Accordingly, al-Jailani's interpretations need to be understood critically and contextually by considering the relationship between textual-rhetorical meanings and their spiritual interpretations.