An analysis of interrogative particles in surah Zahrâvân from the perspective of rhetoric

In the use of istifham (interrogation) in Arabic, interrogative words and sentence structure are important. Interrogative words include expressions such as 'what,' 'why,' and 'how,' and the sentence structure is arranged to incorporate these interrogative expressions. In communication, istifham serves the purpose of prompting the listener to think, facilitating the exchange of information, and helping the speaker to convey their thoughts more effectively. The interrogative particles found in the verses of the Holy Quran, however, demonstrate various subtleties in meaning through their stylistic use. While the primary meaning and purpose of interrogative particles in the verses of the Holy Quran is "to request the learning of something unknown," in the science of rhetoric, they are observed to carry different meanings. These differences teach us that while the mind initially anticipates a question upon encountering an interrogative particle, the meaning it imparts to the sentence undergoes a change at the semantic level rather than the literal. We have observed that in the present day, these topics within the field of rhetoric are not extensively studied. Therefore, in our study, we will examine how these subtleties appear in the verses and analyze their resulting shifts in meaning. The methodological framework of the research is shaped in three stages. First, to establish the foundation of the topic, the meaning of "istifham" as a term and its place in rhetoric are thoroughly examined. In this context, the number of istifham particles in the Arabic language is determined, and their basic meanings are illustrated. The final stage, which constitutes the analysis section of the study, identifies the rhetorical meanings assumed by the istifham particles in the zahrawayn surahs, which go beyond their basic interrogative function. Finally, the data are synthesized, and the contribution of the istifham style to the message and impact of the zahrawayn surahs is descriptively and analytically demonstrated.