ٱلۡحَمۡدُ لِلَّهِ رَبِّ ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ ٱلرَّحۡمَٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ إِيَّاكَ نَعۡبُدُ وَإِيَّاكَ نَسۡتَعِينُ
Definition:
Iltifat is the shift from one grammatical person to another — from first to third person, or from third to second, etc. — within a single discourse for a rhetorical purpose.
Main Types:
- From Absent to Addressed: "Praise be to Allah, Lord of all worlds" — then "You alone we worship" — a shift from speaking about Allah to direct address.
- From Speaker to Absent: For veneration or awe.
- From Plural to Singular: To personalize the address and emphasize individual responsibility.
Benefits:
- Activates the reader's mind and prevents monotony.
- Expresses shifting psychological and emotional states.
- Focuses on the most important meaning at each point.
Question: What is the rhetorical Iltifat in Al-Fatiha, and what is its benefit?
Answer: The shift from speaking about Allah in third person to directly addressing Him — creates spiritual presence and direct encounter.