Iqtibās in Islamic Rhetorical Tradition: Aesthetic Function, Argumentative Force, and Ethical Quotation of Sacred Texts

Ridho Wahyudi; Muhammad Khairul Fikri

Authors

Ridho Wahyudi Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara
Muhammad Khairul Fikri Universitas Islam Negeri Sumatera Utara

Keywords:

iqtibās, islamic rhetoric, sacred quotation, qur’anic intertextuality, ethical interpretation

Abstract

This article examines iqtibās in the Islamic rhetorical tradition as a practice of quoting Qur’anic and prophetic language within human discourse. The study responds to the limitation of treating iqtibās merely as a decorative subcategory of badīʿ, arguing instead that sacred quotation operates through a complex interaction of aesthetic force, argumentative authority, and ethical responsibility. Using a qualitative textual-hermeneutical method, the article analyses selected discussions from classical Arabic rhetoric, Qur’anic rhetorical theory, and examples of sacred phrasing in literary, homiletic, and argumentative contexts. The analysis is guided by three intersecting frameworks: Arabic rhetorical theory, intertextuality, and argumentation theory. The findings show that iqtibās functions first as aesthetic revoicing, because Qur’anic and prophetic phrases reactivate rhythm, semantic density, scriptural resonance, and devotional memory within new textual settings. Second, iqtibās carries argumentative force by serving as authority, warrant, analogy, moral reinforcement, or legitimating frame in Islamic discourse. Third, the study demonstrates that the ethical validity of iqtibās depends on source fidelity, contextual coherence, and interpretive transparency. The article contributes to Islamic rhetorical studies, Qur’anic studies, and religious communication by reframing iqtibās as an ethical-rhetorical act rather than a purely stylistic ornament. This framework is especially relevant for analysing sacred quotation in both classical texts and contemporary digital religious communication.

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