An Analysis of Personification in the Holy Qur’an

The Holy Qur’an has in different forms given human attributes to certain objects, which greatly help the audience in a more effective grasp of meaning. The abundant occurrence of personification in the Holy Qur’an, the various styles it is employed in and the weighty meanings conveyed through it, which are some of the requirements for a full understanding of the Revealed Word, demanded the present research that aims to find the types of personifications employed in the Qur’an by adopting a descriptive–analytical approach and to investigate the different semantic aspects, the methods of application and the rhetorical mysteries and motives of this device. The results show that in order to communicate the meaning, certain objects are endowed with human attributes in many ayahs in different ways. In this regard, the culture, experience and life circumstances of the Arabs as well as their popular literary tradition such as employing similes, metaphors, and current metonyms are beautifully manifested in the Qur’an. The important point is that the personifications used in the Qur’an transcend time and place, which is in and of itself one of the causes of the inimitability of the Qur’an..