Definition of urging (ighra) and warning (tahdhir):
Urging: Inciting the addressee toward a praiseworthy action — the object is present but its governing verb is obligatorily omitted.
Warning: Alerting the addressee about a blameworthy thing to be avoided — with the governing verb also obligatorily omitted.
The verse:
"He said: O my people, this is the she-camel of Allah, a sign for you — leave her to eat in the land of Allah and do not touch her with harm." (7:73)
And in another verse: "The she-camel of Allah and her drink!" (91:13) — a warning by omission: meaning "Beware of the she-camel of Allah and her drink."
Rhetorical dimensions:
- The omission creates awe — as if the matter is too great to explicitly state its governing verb
- Adding the she-camel to Allah (she-camel of Allah) gives her absolute sanctity — violating her is violating Allah
- "And her drink" — the water belongs to her alone on her drinking day — absolute individuation of a small creature with a special divine right
Al-Zamakhshari: "The she-camel of Allah and her drink — urging and warning are among the most eloquent styles because the omission implies the matter is too majestic to say: beware."
Question: What are the styles of urging and warning? What is the rhetorical effect of omitting the governing verb in "the she-camel of Allah and her drink"?
Answer: Urging: incitement toward the praiseworthy. Warning: alerting against the blameworthy. The omission implies the matter is too majestic for explicit wording — as if it transcends ordinary statement.