Mursal Metaphor — "Ask the Village" — Types and Quranic Examples

Definition of mursal metaphor:
Using a word in other than its original meaning through a relation other than resemblance, with a contextual indicator preventing the literal meaning.

Types of relations in mursal metaphor:

1. Partiality: Mentioning the part, meaning the whole — "They put their fingers in their ears" (2:19) — fingers meaning their fingertips.
2. Totality: Mentioning the whole, meaning a part — "Kill the polytheists" meaning warring polytheists, not all.
3. Locative: Mentioning the place, meaning its inhabitants — "Ask the village" (12:82) — village meaning its people.
4. State-for-place: Mentioning the state, meaning the place — "The righteous are in bliss" — bliss meaning Paradise.
5. Causative: Mentioning the cause, meaning the effect — "He sent down for you eight pairs of livestock" — sending down meaning creating and preparing.
6. Effect-for-cause: Mentioning the effect, meaning the cause — "He sends down provision from the sky" — provision meaning rain.

The beauty of "Ask the village":
Fully omitting "people of" and attributing the asking to the village gives the place presence and testimony — as if the stones, markets, and houses are all witnesses to what transpired. Al-Zamakhshari: "Among the most eloquent ways to give speech concision and imagery."