Quranic Metaphor: Categories and Manifestations in Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya

Abstract

No book has ever exerted as profound an influence through its creative and artistic styles as the Holy Quran has on the diverse forms of discourse adopted by orators and rhetoricians, including Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him). Given that supplication (Dua'a) is the very essence of worship, the Quran itself is replete with prayers. Supplication is a verbal style charged with high spiritual energy. While Al-Sahifa al-Sajjadiyya is fundamentally built upon supplication, the Quranic presence within it is vividly apparent at the levels of phrasing and composition, serving as a manifestation of Quranic metaphor. Thus, the Quranic verses provide evidence of a strong reliance on a stable textual foundation—a testament to a profound influence that is sometimes direct and at other times indirect. At times, hidden intertextuality is employed, drawing upon Quranic meanings in a subtle, implicit manner.

It is equally evident that among the branches of metaphor is the inspiration drawn from the general Divine approach, which aims for human righteousness that ultimately leads to the rectitude of the world. Perhaps the most prominent signs of this righteousness manifest in faith in Allah, piety, dutifulness and benevolence toward parents, and resistance against evil, injustice, and their perpetrators—deeming these forces a stumbling block to establishing the eternal religious values that shape the Straight Path (Al-Sirat al-Mustaqim) as decreed by the Holy Quran. These are deeply rooted landmarks in the thought of Imam Zayn al-Abidin (peace be upon him) within his Sahifa, which clearly expresses values whose foundations were laid by prophets and messengers, incorporating various ramifications of Quranic metaphor.

The hypothesis of this paper rests on the premise that the Holy Quran is the essential fountainhead from which the Imam (peace be upon him) drew the beauty of expression, the splendor of style, the depth of meaning, and the dimension of significance. To demonstrate all of this, the study will rely on the inductive, analytical, and synthetic methodologies.