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Reflecting on the Writing Experience: The Concept of "Rhetorical Reduction" and Its Relation to Omission and Condensation
Introduction:
It is undeniable that concepts generally emerge from one another, forming specific relationships and sharing parts of their meanings before a new concept takes shape independently through semantic boundaries and linguistic applications. For instance, metaphor is derived from the concept of simile and is often described as a simile with one of its terms omitted. This conceptual dependency has historically followed metaphor, only being shed in modern rhetorical studies. Similarly, we can measure the concept of "counterpoint" as it relates to the concept of "antithesis," among many other concepts.
Through this interconnectedness among concepts, the idea of "rhetorical reduction" arose during my work on the book "The Secret of the Nominal Sentence," which fundamentally advocates for the elimination of a third of the Arabic language in writing texts, meaning the exclusion of verbs and verbal nouns in literary text construction, particularly in poetry, more so than in prose. This is due to considerations of condensation and the nature of poetry, which is characterized by high tension accompanied by omission, as I mentioned in the book.
Thus, I believe that the concept of "rhetorical reduction" emerging from this research process relates to the concept of omission; however, it is more than just elimination. It also connects to the idea of condensation, although it is not merely condensation either. It is a deeper concept than both, carrying a meaning that has formed in my mind and which I will attempt to explain in the following lines.
**First: The Concept of Omission**
Here, we speak of "rhetorical omission," which has many forms in the Arabic language, appearing at the level of the word and the sentence. According to linguistic rules, any change in structure results in a change in meaning; thus, if a letter is omitted, this omission is interpreted rhetorically, as seen in the interpretation of omissions in the Quran, where interpreters and grammarians regard these omissions as carrying rhetorical significance connected to the context in which they appear.
For example, if we examine the omissions in Surah Al-Kahf, we find that they carry rhetorical significance. This surah exhibits various forms of omission, such as omitting a letter in one context while confirming it in another context within the same surah. For instance, Allah Almighty says, "فما استطاعوا أن يظهروه وما استطاعوا له نقبا" (They were unable to reveal it, nor could they make a hole). The verse uses the same verb, once omitting the 'ta' from 'استطاعوا' and once affirming it. This has significant interpretation amongst Quranic rhetoric scholars; the difficulty of "nukb" (making a hole) compared to "to show" necessitated the letter's affirmation, perhaps indicating its intended meaning. Furthermore, omitting the letter impacts the musical rhythm of the verse, which would be affected if the letter were to be included in the context from which it was omitted. The elevated Quranic rhetoric interrelates various reasons that contribute to its distinctive "poetics," which I have previously discussed in a different context in my book "The Rhetoric of Poetic Craft."
Moreover, Surah Al-Kahf contains more than ten instances of rhetorical omission where letters or words are dropped, and each time there is evidence for this omission, either structural evidence derived from the morphological composition of the word, as in "استطاعوا" versus "استطاعوا," or based on parallelism within the sentence, where a name or verb is omitted because its presence has been asserted earlier in the text. The Arabs favor avoiding unnecessary repetition; for instance, in Surah Al-Kahf, the omission of "distinction" after the number in the verse "وازدادوا تسعا" (and they increased by nine) follows its mention in the first part of the verse "ولبثوا في كهفهم ثلاث مائة سنين." It is commonly understood that they increased by nine years, hence the omission carries significant rhetorical and contextual importance.
A noteworthy rhetorical omission occurs in verse 72: "قال ألم أقل إنك لن تستطيع معي صبرا" (He said, "Did I not say that you would not be able to have patience with me?") after Moses's initial objection to the boat's breach. In the following verse, 75, Allah says: "قال ألم أقل لك إنك لن تستطيع معي صبرا" (He said, "Did I not say to you that you would not be able to have patience with me?"). Here, the in-depth strategy of omitting "لك" (to you) in the first instance reflects politeness towards Moses. However, when Moses repeats the objection and cannot be patient, the phrase "لك" is reinserted as a reminder, amplifying the admonition that Moses indeed breached the agreement again.
Firas Haj Muhammad
