Deletion and Addition in the Qur'anic Letter

Abstract

This research addresses the topic of "Deletion and Addition in the Qur'anic Letter," shedding light on the rhetorical and linguistic value of this stylistic phenomenon in the Holy Qur'an. The research begins by stating that the Holy Qur'an is free from filler words or any letter existing without purpose; every letter that is affirmed or deleted has been placed for a deliberate rhetorical and rational wisdom.

The research is divided into two main sections: The first section discusses the concept of extra (augmented) letters and the scholars' views on them, providing linguistic and terminological definitions of the letter, the types of letters (letters of structure/building and letters of meaning), the linguistic and terminological concept of addition, and the stances of grammarians (Basrians and Kufans), rhetoricians, and exegetes regarding it. It also reviews the most prominent extra letters in the Holy Qur'an along with their textual evidence, such as: (in, an, la, ma, min, al-Kaf). As for the second section, it is dedicated to studying the concept of deletion and its types, its causes (such as frequent usage, length of speech, poetic necessity, etc.), and its purposes (such as lightening, conciseness, expansion, and magnification). It also touches upon the conditions of deletion according to grammarians, concluding with applied examples of the deletion of letters of meaning and letters of structure in the Holy Qur'an.

The research concludes that the phenomena of deletion and addition in the Qur'anic letter are not merely for emphasis or rhythm enhancement alone; rather, they are matters demanded by rhetorical wisdom and the intended meaning to support the stylistic and linguistic inimitability of the Qur'an.