ʿudūl in the Qur'an and its Effects on tafsīr

This study examines aspects of ʿudūl (linguistic and stylistic departure for rhetorical purposes) in the Qur'an alongside its use in tafsīr to help ascertain the deeper meanings of the Qur'an. It highlights the precedence of the mufassirūn in considering this aspect of Qur'anic style, and the ways in which scholars of rhetoric benefitted from their findings. To this end, it first studies the term ʿudūl and its development, and then discusses the relationship between it and related terms, demonstrating how the features of ʿudūl give it a semantic capacity that give it priority over other related aspects of Qur'anic style. The article then discusses the classification of types of ʿudūl in the Qur'an in terms of their application to both individual words and larger structures, and gives practical examples illustrating its effects in elucidating meaning in the Qur'an.