Cudu¯l in the Qur'an and its effects on tafsi¯r

This study examines aspects of cudu¯l (linguistic and stylistic departure for rhetorical purposes) in the Qur'an alongside its use in tafsi¯r to help ascertain the deeper meanings of the Qur'an. It highlights the precedence of the mufassiru¯n 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 cudu¯l and its development, and then discusses the relationship between it and related terms, demonstrating how the features of cudu¯l 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 cudu¯l 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.