Advanced Rhetoric Surah: Al-Isra (81)

Definition: Al-Tadhjil: adding an independent-meaning clause after a preceding clause to reinforce and confirm it — like a proverb that is cited to establish a point.

Two types:

1. The proverb-like type: Can stand alone as evidence — like well-known maxims.
2. The non-proverb type: Its full meaning depends on what precedes it.

Quranic examples:

• "Say: Truth has come and falsehood has vanished — indeed falsehood is ever bound to vanish" (17:81) — "falsehood is ever bound to vanish" is an independent tadhjil establishing the removal of falsehood as a universal principle.
• "Allah would not punish them while you are among them, nor would He punish them while they seek forgiveness" (8:33) — the second clause is an independent tadhjil with a separate reason for the lifting of punishment.
• "It is not the eyes that go blind but the hearts within the chests" (22:46) — a tadhjil establishing the law of true blindness.

Difference from repetition: Repetition restates the same wording — tadhjil brings a new meaning that is broader and more encompassing, confirming what came before.

Source: Al-Khatib al-Qazwini, Al-Idah (3/190); Al-Zarkashi, Al-Burhan (2/321); Ibn Ashur, Tafsir (15/225)

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