AL-ᵓINZĪYYĀḤ IN THE STORIES OF THE HOLY QUR’AN THE CASE OF SURA YŪSUF

Abstract

This paper embarks on the rhetorical and stylistic strategy called al-ᵓInzīyyāḥ (literally, displacement or divergence) found in the stories of the Holy Qur’an. The paper presents the salient characteristics, meanings, and connotations of al-ᵓInzīyyāḥ in the story of the Prophet Yūsuf (Joseph) as narrated in Sura Yūsuf (Q.12) and from the perspectives of the Arab interpreters of the Holy Qur’an. The
paper includes two sections: theoretical and applied. The first embarks on defining al-ᵓInzīyyāḥ and surveying its rhetorical and stylistic significance in Arabic. The second applied section surveys all instances of al-ᵓInzīyyāḥ in Sura Yūsuf, and it explores their significance within the context of each verse according to early and contemporary arab interpreters of the holy Qur’an, and in accordance to the Arabic grammar. It is found that al-ᵓInzīyyāḥ in Sura Yūsuf comes in different forms, and it has several characteristics and purposes especially in expressing polite and courtesy speech and adhering to the  codes of decorum.