Definition of Kinaya:
Kinaya: a word by which its consequent meaning is intended with the literal meaning remaining possible. Divided into three types: kinaya about an attribute — about an attributed — about an action (relation).
Kinaya about an action (relational kinaya):
When an action is alluded to through an image or state that implies it, without the action being explicitly mentioned.
The verse:
"And do not make your hand chained to your neck nor extend it fully." (17:29)
Rhetorical analysis:
- "Your hand chained to your neck" = kinaya for the act of miserliness (do not be miserly)
- "Extend it fully" = kinaya for the act of prodigality and waste
- Rather than saying "do not be miserly nor wasteful," it depicts the action through a visible bodily posture
Rhetorical subtlety:
The embodied image (bound hand / fully extended hand) is more impactful than a bare prohibition — it brings a scene before the eye making meaning alive, not merely a ruling.
Al-Zarkashi: "Kinaya about an action is more eloquent than direct statement because it fixes the image in the mind and grants it a sensory dimension."
Question: What is the difference between kinaya about an attribute and kinaya about an action? Give an example from the verse.
Answer: Kinaya about attribute: "long sword-belt" for tallness. Kinaya about action: "your hand chained" for the act of being miserly — kinaya attributes an action, not a fixed characteristic.