معرفت

One of the aspects of the Holy Quran's inimitability (i'jāz), emphasized by Quranic scholars since the era of its revelation, is its extraordinary eloquence and rhetorical power (i'jāz al-bayānī, or inimitability in expression). A doubt raised in this context concerns the existence of certain verses containing clear and self-evident (badīhī) matters. Just as complexity in speech contradicts this form of inimitability, explaining what is already obvious would also seem to be at odds with it. This article, aiming to address this doubt, has been written using a descriptive and analytical method. The research concludes that: Firstly, in rhetorical inimitability, the appropriateness of the speech to the status and situation of the listener and the environment determines the degree of its effectiveness. If the listener requires explanation, then clarifying an evident matter does not contradict inimitability in expression. Secondly, the instances where self-evidence is claimed fall into three categories: At times, there is a presumption of self-evidence, and the content of the verse is not as clear as claimed. At other times, stating an obvious point serves a wise objective, which justifies its mention and aligns with rhetorical inimitability. In some verses, stating an evident matter contains a specific rhetorical subtlety, which provides a rationale for its inclusion.