A Critical Reading of the Definition of ʿIlm al-Bayān (The Science of Eloquence)

Abstract

This study presents a critical re-examination of the definition of ʿIlm al-Bayān (the Science of Eloquence) as it has been traditionally established in Arabic rhetorical studies, particularly within educational curricula that often emphasize memorization over analysis. The research questions the scholarly consensus on al-Sakkākī’s definition as adopted by al-Khaṭīb al-Qazwīnī in Talkhīṣ al-Miftāḥ, and explores whether rhetorical tools such as simile, metaphor, metonymy, and synecdoche can be used interchangeably regardless of their specific contextual functions. The study draws on classical rhetorical treatises as well as modern scholarly works, particularly those by Dr. Muhammad Shafiʿ al-Sayyid and Dr. Muhammad Ramadan al-Jarbi. It concludes by advocating for a more nuanced and context-aware understanding of rhetorical expression in Arabic.