Re-examination of the Literary Technique of Mushakalah and the Role of Its Recognition in Qur'anic Interpretation

The technique of mushakalah is one of the homonymy-based semantic literary devices of rhetorical embellishment, many prominent examples of which have remained unknown or less known in the Qur’anic explorations. The present descriptive-analytical research, after reviewing the history and recognizing the status of mushakalah in rhetoric and redefining its sub-types, by re-reading the ayahs, seeks novel examples of this device in the Qur’an. Since some Qur’anic scholars have considered badī' (rhetorical embellishment) as practical only in the aesthetics of the Qur’anic text and have not seen it helpful in its interpretation, this study aims to find an answer to the question of “what functions one can conceive for recognizing the technique of mushakalah in the process of understanding and interpreting the text of the Qur’an.” The research findings show that exegetes familiar with this literary device do not consider the apparent signification of the words enough, and are not trapped in interpretative mistakes, but seek to reveal the motives behind the choices of words. In addition, it is shown that another function of mushakalah is the revelation of the ironic tone of the text and presenting an eloquent interpretation on the basis of homonymy.