Journal of Arabic Language & Literature

Phonetic Cohesion in the Holy Qur’an (Juz’ ‘Amma as a Model)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ghassan Hamad Sabkha Al-Saadi 1
Amir Moqaddam Mottaqi 2
Seyyed Hossein Seyyedi 3

1 PhD Candidate in Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad , Mashhad , Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad , Mashhad , Iran

3 Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Letters and Humanities, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad , Mashhad , Iran

https://doi.org/10.22067/jall.2026.82410.1273
Abstract
Phonetics is an indispensable branch of Arabic linguistics. Ancient and modern scholars authored works in this field, though it did not emerge as a distinct science. Nevertheless, phonetic concepts abound in linguistic literature, explaining how speech sounds interact based on articulation points (makhārij) and phonetic attributes (ṣifāt). This research highlights the significance of phonetics, specifically phonetic cohesion, in enhancing textual coherence. Phonetic cohesion represents a distributional process of formal phonetic elements across letters, words, and syntactic structures. It functions as an intrinsic textual property that remains latent until a reader or listener perceives its internal cohesion and harmony with the overall text. The importance of this phenomenon, alongside the lack of prior systematic studies, motivated this investigation.Accordingly, this study addresses two questions: How does phonetic cohesion highlight the phonetic and semantic aesthetics of the Qur’anic text? What are its manifestations in the 30th Part (Juz’ ‘Amma) of the Qur’an?Adopting a descriptive-analytical methodology, the findings indicate that phonetic cohesion acts as a mechanism preventing mispronunciation, thereby significantly impacting textual coherence. Furthermore, it highlights the phonetic and semantic beauty of 30th Part (Juz’ ‘Amma) on a structural basis. Its primary elements manifest through rhymed prose (Saj‘), pun/alliteration (Jinās), and intonation (Tanghīm). Specifically, Saj‘ demonstrates phonetic congruence with the horrors in Surah At-Takwir, abundance in Surah Al-Kawthar, and subtlety in Surah An-Nas, whereas Jinās and intonation contribute to vivid imagery and semantic coherence.

Keywords

Assonance (Saj&lsquo
), Paronomasia (Jinas), Intonation, Textual Coherence, Points and Manners of Articulation
Subjects
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