A Linguistic Analysis of Verse 24 of Surah Yunus (Peace be upon him)

Abstract

This research is entitled "A Linguistic Analysis of Verse Twenty-Four of Surah Yunus (Jonah)". The topic was selected because of the remarkable linguistic and rhetorical richness of this noble Qur'anic verse and its eloquent depiction of the reality and ultimate fate of worldly life. The study aims to analyze the verse according to the various levels of linguistic analysis, beginning with the lexical level and ending with the contextual level, while also examining the phonetic, morphological, syntactic, and rhetorical levels.

At the lexical level, the study explains words that require interpretation, such as al-zukhruf (adornment) and al-hasid (reaped stubble). At the phonetic level, it analyzes words that carry significant phonetic implications, including al-hayah (life), ikhtalata (mingled), and akhadhat (took hold), by examining each sound in terms of its place and manner of articulation and demonstrating its semantic contribution within the context of the verse. At the morphological level, the study investigates morphological phenomena found in the verse, such as deletion and substitution, while also discussing the variant Qur'anic readings related to certain words. At the syntactic level, the verse is grammatically analyzed in light of the interpretations presented by Qur'anic exegetes and grammarians. The rhetorical level examines the principal rhetorical devices employed in the verse, including simile, metaphor, metonymy, and transferred epithet (logical metaphor).

The study concludes by demonstrating the integration of these linguistic levels in revealing the profound faith-based meanings embedded in the verse. These meanings become most evident at the contextual level. Finally, the research presents its main findings and provides a complete list of the sources and references upon which the study is based.