Rhetorical Styles of the Divine Word in Persuasive–Emotional Roles for Influencing the Audience

Abstract

This study aims to analyze the rhetorical styles of divine revelation in persuasive and emotional functions and examine how they influence the audience. Using an analytical–rhetorical approach, the research explores the concepts and pillars of ilm al-bayan—including simile, metaphor, metonymy, and allusion—and investigates how these rhetorical devices are employed in the Qur’anic verses and authentic hadiths to stimulate behavioral motivation and evoke human emotions. The findings indicate that the persuasive function of the language of revelation operates through logical persuasion and strengthening the audience’s will to perform virtuous deeds, while its emotional function works by creating emotional bonds, conveying divine love, and evoking empathy. Furthermore, it was revealed that in many instances, these two functions appear in overlapping rhetorical structures, delivering the message in a multilayered and lasting form. This overlap increases the semantic impact of the divine message and ensures that its influence endures not only at the moment of reception but also over time. Based on the results, this model can be applied to enhance contemporary religious, cultural, and educational texts so that messages are conveyed to the audience with comprehensive and lasting impact.