The transformational syntactic structure in Surat An-Nahl, a study in light of transformation by substitution

Abstract

This study deals with (the transformational syntactic structure in Surat An-Nahl, a study in light of transformation by substitution), using a clear and explicit analytical approach.

The transformational structural study of Surat An-Nahl aims to analyze the surah's deep structure, which cannot be understood solely through a surface reading, but rather by uncovering the hidden relationships and connections that give the text its coherence and semantic, rhetorical, and interpretive power. This study relies on the theory of transformational generative grammar in linguistics and applies it to the Qur'anic text to understand its structural engineering.

Apparent surface structure (compositional study): The words, sentences, and verses as we read them in their apparent sequence.

Deep structure (translational study): The network of logical, semantic, and causal relationships that connect the parts of the text to one another, and the source of its multiple meanings and rhetorical brilliance.

It is worth noting that conversion by substitution is one of the most prominent elements of conversion, and it includes in our study: the hypothetical shift from a verb to a noun, the hypothetical shift from an explicit infinitive to an implied infinitive, the hypothetical shift from a derived noun to a relative pronoun, the hypothetical shift from an active to an passive, and the hypothetical shift from a verb to a verbal noun.