The Hadith Indeed, Some Speech Is Enchantment: A Hadith, Linguistic, Rhetorical, and Daʿwah Study/ حديث إن من البيان سحرا: دراسة حديثية لغوية بلاغية دعوية

Abstract

An integrated approach is adopted to examine the Prophet’s ḥadīth “Indeed, some speech is like magic,” combining ḥadīth, linguistic, rhetorical, and daʿwah dimensions, aiming to uncover the beauty of the Prophetic expression and the precision of its moral guidance. It traces the sources of this specific ḥadīth. It discusses scholars’ interpretations—between those who viewed it as praise for sincere eloquence, those who saw it as a warning against deceptive speech, and those who reconciled both views in a balanced manner. The linguistic and rhetorical analysis reveals the miraculous nature of the ḥadīth’s structure, which blends brevity, rhythm, and accuracy in simile, showing that eloquence is a subtle spiritual power that influences hearts as magic does: a means of guidance when used for truth, and a cause of misguidance when misused. Ultimately, the study concludes that the ḥadīth provides a daʿwah-oriented standard for speech, affirming that eloquence is not an aesthetic end in itself but a means to lead minds and hearts toward the truth.