Thursday, May 24, 2012

Rhetorical Devices of Surah Yusuf

Indirectly Alluding to a Larger Idea

Surah Yusuf employs stories/examples that are easy to follow and stand on their own as arguments, but ultimately lead to a larger idea. Surah Yusuf can, for example, be used as proof of "Iman bil Ghaib" (belief in unseen) despite the idea not explicitly mentioned until (12:103).
- One could say the same regarding the idea of succeeding despite all odds. Hazrat Yusuf (as) endures many trials from the beginning but eventually succeeds. Again, the idea of succeeding is not explicitly mentioned until (12:101), yet the examples the Surah cites do help create this idea in your mind.

More Stories, Less Arguments

Surah Yusuf employs stories/examples more and arguments less. This is not a hard rule for op-ed writing, but it people do remember stories more than arguments. Mix and match examples/arguments while writing.

Versatility

Surah Yusuf mentions Hazrat Yusuf's "shirt" many times, but each time the shirt represents a new idea: despair/falsehood (12:19), sign of truth (12:26-29), hope & proof (12:94-95).

Similarly, one can use a single example to demonstrate various ideas and implications instead of introducing five examples.

Full Circle

The dream is mentioned in the beginning of Surah Yusuf (12:5), but is never mentioned again until the end of Surah (12:101). While emphasizing "Iman bil Ghaib," this literary device also connects the introduction with the conclusion

Similarly, always loop the conclusion back to the introduction for the aesthetic effect.

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