Evaluation of children's books containing tafsīr content in the context of short surās

Muslims have, throughout history, produced significant scholarship with a view to enabling a deeper understanding and more accurate interpretation of the Divine Book. Examining how kināyah (allusive/indirect) verses are reflected in Qur'anic translations is valuable for apprehending the intended meaning of Qur'anic discourse correctly and for avoiding errors when deriving legal and interpretive judgments. The Qur'an, in terms of meaning and wording, contains linguistic elements—those that determine a language's structure, functioning, and patterns of use—that can be readily identified. With the formation of the disciplines of Maʿānī, Bayān, and Badīʿ under the broader science of rhetoric (balāghah), the primary aim has been to facilitate a sound and comprehensive understanding of our exalted Scripture, the Holy Qur'an. In this study, selected examples of the rhetorical device of kināyah in the Qur'an are identified, and the ways in which these allusive verses are represented in Qur'anic translations are analyzed.