The Arabic Textual Thresholds in Surah Yunus/ عتبات النص في سورة يونس

Abstract

This study examines textual thresholds in Surah Yunus through a multi-level analytical approach that includes stylistic, symbolic-semantic, and pragmatic thresholds, as well as spatial and temporal dimensions, with the aim of uncovering the mechanisms of meaning production within the Qur’anic text. The study is based on the assumption that the Qur’anic text is not constructed on direct meaning alone, but rather on an integrated system of thresholds that guide the reading process and frame the reception of discourse within a network of linguistic and communicative relations.

The first chapter establishes the concept of textual thresholds by linking it to modern critical theories, while demonstrating its applicability to Qur’anic analysis. The study shows that classical Arabic rhetoric, although not explicitly using the term, implicitly engaged with similar concepts such as textual openings, coherence, and transitions between stylistic forms, thus confirming a methodological continuity between traditional and modern approaches.

The second chapter explores the manifestations of textual thresholds in Surah Yunus in terms of language, rhetoric, and suggestive meaning. It reveals that the surah is built upon a coherent linguistic structure in which stylistic patterns intersect with symbolic meaning. Recurrent discourse patterns—such as vocative forms, emphasis, interrogation, and simile—create a balance between persuasion and impact, while spatial and temporal elements emerge as active components in the production of meaning.

The third chapter analyzes the impact of textual thresholds on the recipient, demonstrating their crucial role in directing understanding and shaping response. These thresholds move the recipient from passive reception to active engagement with the discourse. Stylistic diversity, symbolic density, and pragmatic direction all contribute to generating a deep cognitive and psychological effect that reshapes the recipient’s awareness and behavior.

At the applied level, the study shows that stylistic thresholds organize discourse through the balance of sentence structures and variation of rhythmic endings, while symbolic-semantic thresholds reveal a network of deeper meanings. Pragmatic thresholds, in turn, demonstrate how Qur’anic discourse functions as performative acts that influence the recipient. The study concludes that integrating traditional and modern analytical approaches is a methodological necessity for understanding the Qur’anic text in depth, as it reveals a complex semantic structure that makes Surah Yunus an open text with multiple interpretive possibilities