BALÂGHAT – بلاغات

 

The word balaghât is derived from the verb بلغ (balagh), which means “to reach,” and it means to be able to convey the meaning.

It denotes fullness and accuracy in expressing thoughts through speech and being eloquent in speech and writing. The part of eloquence that consists of a selection of words used accurately, fully and gracefully to represent the intended meaning effectively and attractively to the mind to the mind of a listener or a reader. The art of speaking appropriately and accurately according to the situation and the addressee.

It consists, as a science (بلاغات علم ), of two parts: the signification of terms (معانى ) and grammar (بيان ). Figurative language (علم بديع ) is its complement.

 

Know that one of the principles of balâghat that illuminates and makes the beauty of speech sparkle is that all the words forming sentences respond to each other, their measure evokes each other, and all the words and their measure look to the primary aim and help each other to reach that aim to the extent of their power. This is like a lake where the streams of the valleys from all sides are collected, which confirms and illustrates the saying:

عِبَارَاتُنَا شَتَّى وَحُسْنُكَ وَاحِدٌ وَكُلٌّ إلى ذَاكَ الْجَمَال يُشِيرُ1

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Balâghat is complying with the requirements of the situation.2 And the requirement of the situation here is that the addresses of the Qur'an belong to different classes in different centuries. So by considering all these classes and being near those centuries so that all the different types of people can receive their share, the Qur'an makes omissions in many places in order to make all aspects of its meanings general and apportion them out, and it speaks in the widest sense in order to make those meanings embrace everyone and distribute them. Moreover, it leaves the word-order free in many places to multiply its facets and increase the possibilities, which are admired by balâghat and the ‘ilm of Arabic. Thus, all minds receive the Qur'an's faydh to the extent they can appreciate it. Consider this carefully!

Signs of Miraculousness-83-103

 

This is the balâghat of the Qur'an, which is at the degree of miraculousness. As for this balâghat, it is a wonderful balâghat born of the perfect measure of its word order, the beauty of its firmness, the marvels of its styles and their singularity and being admired, the excellence of its expression and its superiority and clarity, the power of its meanings and their being haqq, and the correctness, perfection and fluency of its words, which for one thousand three hundred years has challenged the most genius men of letters of the son of Âdam (as), their wonderful orators and the most erudite, vastly learned men among them, and invited them to dispute it and provoked them intensely. And although it has invited them to dispute it, those geniuses, whose heads touch the skies in their pride and conceit, have been unable to open their mouths to dispute it and have bowed their heads with utter shame.

The Twenty-Fifth Word-Introduction-First Light-First Ray

(Please refer to The Twenty-Fifth Word)