Linguistic Argumentation in Risālat al-Ghufrān by Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī: A Study in the Light of Speech Act Theory

Abstract

This study explores linguistic argumentation in al-Maʿarrī’sRisālat al-Ghufrān from a contemporary pragmatic perspective, seeking to move beyond traditional rhetorical readings toward an approach that reveals the text’s deep illocutionary structure. The research begins from the premise that al-Maʿarrī’s discourse does not merely serve representational or narrative functions, but rather unfolds as a persuasive linguistic practice grounded in precise argumentative strategies.

The study employs the analytical tools of speech act theory and argumentative scales as formulated by Ducrot and Anscombre, aiming to demonstrate how pragmatic connectors and syntactic constructions in al-Ghufrān operate as argumentative engines capable of reshaping meaning and guiding the reader toward a specific stance. In this light, al-Ghufrān emerges as an eminently argumentative text, interweaving irony with reasoning, and artistic imagination with logical rigor.

The significance of this research lies in addressing a scholarly gap within Arabic studies by situating al-Maʿarrī’s text within a global pragmatic framework, highlighting the distinctiveness of his argumentative style as a model of interactive creativity that bridges classical Arabic rhetoric and contemporary pragmatic theory. The findings suggest that al-Maʿarrī practiced a critical discourse far ahead of his time, employing language as an instrument of action and persuasion, rather than as a mere vessel of meaning.