Within Fraser’s theoretical framework, discourse markers are grammatically diverse lexical expressions that carry a procedural meaning and establish relations between propositions. Due to its precise emphasis on propositional relations and its suitability for Arabic textual analysis, Fraser’s model serves as the analytical framework of this study. The chapter on “Prohibition” in Kifāyat al-Uṣūl by Akhund Khorasani was selected as the corpus because of its high density and diversity of discourse markers. The study aims to demonstrate the usefulness of Fraser’s framework in clarifying the process of legal reasoning and identifying patterns of argumentative language in uṣūlī–jurisprudential texts.

The research adopts a mixed qualitative–quantitative approach using a descriptive–analytical method based on library sources. A total of 1,206 discourse markers were identified and coded using MAXQDA software. After analyzing representative samples, frequency distributions and patterns of discourse marker use were examined to identify the argumentative structure of the chapter on “Prohibition.”

The findings reveal that wa, ḥaythu, bi-ʿibārah ukhrā (“in other words”), bal iḍrāb, thumma, mithl/ka/kamā, and immā wa aw function as elaborative discourse markers. The markers lakin, bal, and the construction wa-in serve as contrastive markers used in refinement, negation, and replacement of rulings. The markers fa, lām, and li-dhālik operate as inferential markers, while ḥīnaʾidhin functions as a temporal marker. The results indicate a direct relationship between frequency and distribution patterns. The predominance of elaborative markers reflects the explanatory and expository nature of the argumentative structure in the “Prohibition” chapter. The close distribution of contrastive and inferential markers demonstrates a strong connection between disputation and inference in uṣūlī argumentation, whereas temporal markers play a comparatively limited role in the text.