Waiting expressions in Arabic religious texts: A stylistic study

Abstract

The study is a stylistic examination of waiting expressions used in religious texts written in Arabic. The Importance of the study relies of the fact that it focuses on the language used in religious statements that deal with the idea of waiting. This religious concept ensures that every believer has a responsibility to follow the visions and guidelines of his religious doctrines. This study aims to linguistically investigate waiting expressions. The study investigated  religious waiting expressions found  in Tafsir Al-Mizan ) Interpretation of the Qur'an (by the scholar Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i. It  also invested an eclectic model of analysis for the purpose of this investigation . The eclectic model includes Crystal and Davy (1969) religious language  analytical  frame work and Van Noppen (1981) religious language style and Short and Leech (2007) stylistic tool-kit .The questions aimed to be answered in this study involves : What are the main  lexical , semantic , Grammatical , figures of speech and context and cohesion linguistic items used  within religious waiting  statement ? What is the significance of this investment ? And What is the effect of the concept of waiting upon the invested language ?  The findings of this analysis  include: There is a focus of use on particular linguistic items such as certain listing constructions ( Proper Names)  , repetition of certain titles  for The Waited , no religious archaic language were employed , in addition to the intensive use of the same  religious metaphor . The linguistic items used varies  in the degree to which they express the religious concept under investigation .