Journal of Arabic Language & Literature

The Aesthetics of Sound and Artistic Imagery in the Holy Qur’an: Surah Al-Kahf as a Case Study

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zaid Muhammad Jasim Al-Maamouri 1
Bahar Seddighi 2
Abdul Hadi Al-Harbi 3

1 Ph.D Candidate, Department of 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 Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, University of Babylon, Iraq

https://doi.org/10.22067/jall.2026.81814.1249
Abstract
The Holy Qur’an possesses numerous aspects of inimitability, among which rhetorical and stylistic inimitability occupies a prominent position. The aesthetic dimensions of this rhetorical inimitability appear in various forms and are manifested through rhetorical devices that shape the artistic image and convey the intended meaning. The significance of this study lies in revealing the importance of semantic meaning and artistic imagery in the Qur’anic text. This research aims to explore the aesthetic aspects of the Qur’anic text in Surah Al-Kahf. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach and is structured as follows: First, imagery based on simile, which is one of the most common rhetorical devices in literature. Simile establishes a comparison between two elements sharing a common attribute and serves rhetorical and expressive purposes that cannot be achieved otherwise. Second, the aesthetic function of imagery through metonymy (kināyah), which is an indirect expressive technique in which the literal and figurative meanings coexist, while the intended meaning in context is the figurative one, without negating the possibility of the literal meaning, since metonymy is related to meanings rather than words. Third, the aesthetic function of imagery through metaphor (isti‘ārah), which is defined as a simile in which one of the two elements (the subject or the object of comparison) is omitted, and which belongs to the category of linguistic figurative expression, where a word is used in a meaning other than its original one due to a relation of similarity. Based on these premises, the study seeks to answer the following questions: What is the aesthetic value of artistic imagery? How does artistic imagery manifest itself in Surah Al-Kahf? And what is the effect of these artistic images on the recipient? The results indicate that artistic imagery in Surah Al-Kahf appears in various forms, including simile, metonymy, metaphor, and figurative expression. These images influence the recipient’s emotions and intellect, and express the imagined mental image, the sensory state, and the visual scene.
 
 

Keywords

The Holy Quran
Surat Al-Kahf
rhetoric
Artistic Images
Subjects
The Holy Qur’an.
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