Interpretative Preference by Rhetorical Resumption in Ibn ʿĀshūr’s al-Taḥrīr waʼl-Tanwīr: A Foundational and Critical Analysis of Construction Theory التَّرجيحُ بالاستئنافِ البيانيِّ عندَ ابنِ عاشورَ في تفسيرِ التَّحريرِ والتَّنويرِ: دراسةٌ تأصيليَّةٌ تطبيقيَّةٌ نقديَّةٌ في ضوءِ نظريَّةِ النَّظمِ

Abstract

This research aims to elucidate Ibn ʿĀshūr’s methodological specificity in employing Rhetorical Resumption (al-Istiʾnāf al-Bayānī) as a procedural tool for interpretative preference within his exegesis, al-Taḥrīr wa al-Tanwīr. The study adopts a comparative-analytical approach grounded in al-Jurjānī’s Theory of Construction (Naẓm), in which Ibn ʿĀshūr’s preferences are cross-examined against the views of al-Zamakhsharī and Abū al-Suʿūd. This comparison is operationalized through an innovative critical framework predicated on three criteria: Mental Recall, Semantic Impact, and Syntactic Cohesion. Consequently, the study derives a governing procedural system for preference structured around three foundations -Construction, Context, and Intent- which are represented by specific rules such as foundational establishment, generalization, and disambiguation. The findings demonstrate that Rhetorical Resumption transcends grammatical craft, functioning as a pragmatic mechanism governed by these overarching foundations. While acknowledging Ibn ʿĀshūr as an inspirational innovator in the application of Naẓm, the study contends that his preferences regarding rhetorical resumption should remain subject to normative examination, necessitating the proposed critical framework to distinguish between genuine innovation and interpretative affectation. Ultimately, the study advocates re-examining the exegetical heritage through the lens of Discourse Linguistics to elucidate the communicative value of Arabic Naẓm.