A Comprehensive Stylistic Study of Prophetic Parables in the Works of Hadith Scholars

Abstract

This study examines the Prophetic parables (al-amthāl al-nabawiyyah) as treated by the scholars of Hadith, adopting a stylistic approach that focuses on the aesthetic and expressive dimensions of the Prophetic discourse. It aims to highlight how Hadith scholars engaged with these parables not only as vehicles of meaning and guidance, but also as refined rhetorical structures characterized by clarity, brevity, and depth.The research analyzes selected Prophetic parables transmitted in the major Hadith collections, exploring their stylistic features such as imagery, analogy, narrative economy, rhythm, and semantic density. It also investigates the role of these stylistic elements in enhancing persuasion, facilitating comprehension, and ensuring the memorability of moral and doctrinal teachings.By integrating stylistic analysis with the Hadith scholars’ explanations and commentaries, the study reveals the harmony between form and meaning in the Prophetic parable and demonstrates the awareness—implicit or explicit—of stylistic phenomena in Hadith scholarship. The study concludes that the Prophetic parables represent a distinctive model of eloquent religious discourse, in which stylistic beauty serves the higher objectives of guidance, education, and ethical refinement.