Rhetoric is commonly defined as "the art of speaking or writing effectively." Learning the science of balagha, or rhetoric, is not only a necessary means to improving your own speech and writing, but it is also vital for a complete understanding of Arabic—without it, it’s easy to loose track of the message of a sentence and thus miss out on much of the meaning. Balagha is also key to understanding the Quran and Hadith correctly. Many debates in Aqida, most debates in usul al-fiqh, and many debates in fiqh, especially those in relation to marriage, divorce, business contracts, oaths, and court claims, depend upon a solid understanding of balagha.
Tuhfa al-Ikhwan Explained gives you a comprehensive map of the theory of Arabic rhetoric through a study of a classical primer on the subject. Balagha can be a very technical science for students, but Imam Dardir's Tuhfa al-Ikhwan fi 'Ilm al-Bayan was written with ease and brevity in mind. In addition, it focuses exclusively on Ilm al-Bayan, one of the three branches of balagha, as it is the most useful and applicable branch. And while the text is concise, it contains the language and terminology that you will need to be familiar with in order to understand other classical texts in balagha and tafsir.
As an added bonus, four complete lessons have been added to the course based on Sa'd al-Din al-Taftazani's celebrated work Mukhtasar al-Ma'ani. These lessons will cover the most frequently used rhetorical devices needed to correctly understand both basic Arabic sentences and the words of the Divine. Al-Ma'ani is about discovering subtle nuances in language that completely change the color of what you read. Suffice it to say that al-ma'ani is an absolutely essential member of every student and scholar's tool kit.
The goal of this course is to give you exposure to a classical text in Balagha such that you can understand it word for word. You will learn how to apply the rules of balgha. In addition, you will be exposed to the particular style of classical texts.
By the end of this course you will gain an understanding of the key principles of Majaz, Tashbih, Kinaya, and Ma'ani, and the terms that are used. You will be able to apply principles to specific examples from the Quran and Hadith and understand where there is room for debate. You will also get a feel for the language of classical texts and the language of the Quran. Tuhfa al-Ikhwan Explained is for any student of knowledge, especially someone looking to specialize in either tafsir or Arabic literature.
Lesson 1: Introduction
- Importance of Balagha
- Use in Tafsir
- Use in the Classical Islamic Sciences
Lesson 2: Majaz (Metaphor)
- Majaz Aqli
- Concept of Isnad (predication)
- Isnad in Sentences
- Isnad in Constructions
- Concept of Verb and its meaning
- Concept of word associations
Lesson 3: Majaz (cont.)
- Concept of Qarina (diverting indications)
- Qarina Ma’nawiya and Qarina Lafdhiya
Lesson 4: Majaz (cont.)
- Concept of word coinage
- Concept of word relations
- Distinction between Majaz Mursal and Isti’ara
- Various word relations that are not resemblance
Lesson 5: Isti’ara
- Concept of implicit and explicit references to that with which a comparison is being made
Lesson 6: Isti’ara (cont.)
- Words that enforce or detract from the strength of the comparison
Lesson 7: Isti’ara (cont.)
- Isti’ara in different types of words
- Distinction between Isti’ara Asliyya and Isti’ara Tab’iyya
- How Nouns indicate meanings
- How Verbs indicate meanings
- How particles indicate meanings
Lesson 8: Composite Majaz and Istiara
- Metaphor in Sentences
- Distinction between Majaz Murakkab and Isti’ara Tamthiliyya
- Turns of phrase
Lesson 9: Tashbih (Simile)
- Integrals of Simile
- Types of Tashbih: Mujmal, Mufassal, Mursal, Mu'akkad, Baligh
- Distinction between Majaz and Tashbih Baligh
Lesson 10: Composite Tashbih
Lesson 11: Special styles of Tashbih
- Tashbih Maqlub
- Tashbih Dimni
Lesson 12: Kinayah
- Distinction between Majaz and Kinaya
- Kinaya in attributes
- Kinaya in predication
Lesson 13: Al-Ma'rifa wa al-Nakira
- The various different meanings that the definite article can convey
- How the indefinite can be used with various shades of meaning
Lesson 14: Ahwal al-Musnad Ilayhi
- The various ways the subject of sentence can be altered for various rhetorical effects
Lesson 15: Al-Hasr
- Various techniques that indicate exclusivity (X is only Y)
Lesson 16: Al Fasl wa al-Wasl
- The huge effect on meanings that tiniest of words can have: conjunction particles
