Introduction
The Holy Quran, as the divine word and an eternal miracle, has consistently been the focal point of scholars and thinkers. This sacred text, serving not only as a source of guidance and human development but also as a literary and artistic masterpiece, has always been a subject of examination and contemplation. Surah Al-Ikhlas (The Purity), with its concise structure and profound meaning, is among the Surahs that have attracted the attention of interpreters, theologians, mystics, and literary scholars throughout the history of Islam. This Surah, which expresses the oneness of God in a clear and direct manner, can be studied from various perspectives.
With the advancement of linguistic sciences and the emergence of new approaches in literary criticism, it has become possible to examine the linguistic structures of the Quran with a fresh perspective. Stylistics, as one of these approaches, examines the specific characteristics of a text, including its linguistic structure, word choices, and sentence composition. This article analyzes Surah Al-Ikhlas using the principles of stylistics and with a mystical approach. The primary goal of this research is to elucidate the relationship between the linguistic structure of Surah Al-Ikhlas and the mystical concepts of Tawhid (Oneness of God), particularly the concept of “unity in diversity.”
Background Research
Numerous studies have been conducted on the stylistics of the Holy Quran, each examining this divine text from a particular angle. Articles such as “The Stylistics of Surah Maryam” by Mohammad Khaghani and Mohammad Jafar Asghari analyze synonymous relationships, internal coherence, and rhythmic elements to explain the unique style of this Surah. The article “Stylistics of Surah An-Nazi’at” by Abolhassan Momennejad and colleagues, focusing on the phonetic analysis of words, shows how the sound of words influences the transfer of meaning. Additionally, the article “Stylistics of Surah Adh-Dhariyat” by Shaban Nosrati and colleagues examines the phonetic, morphological, and literary levels of words and refers to the structural coherence of this Surah. These studies demonstrate that the stylistics of the Quran is an effective approach in studying the various aspects of this book.
Regarding Surah Al-Ikhlas, articles such as “Al-Tawhid fi Surah Al-Tawhid” by Ahmad Ezzat Adnan and Abdullah Ezzah and “A Study of Rhetorical Manifestations and Beauty in Surah Al-Ikhlas” by Ali Oust Khanjani, have focused more on the rhetorical and interpretative aspects of the Surah. The article “The Manifestation of Tawhid in Surah Al-Ikhlas” by Ali Asghar Mirzaei also dealt with Surah Al-Ikhlas with a mystical view and tried to express the deep meanings of Tawhid in this Surah. However, these articles have focused more on the mystical interpretation and rhetorical analysis of the Surah, paying less attention to the stylistic analysis of the Surah, with a mystical approach.
Therefore, this article, with the aim of filling this research gap, seeks to examine Surah Al-Ikhlas from the perspective of mystical stylistics. This article not only examines the various linguistic levels of the Surah but also analyzes the relationship between the linguistic structure and its mystical meaning. The main emphasis is on how the linguistic structure of the Surah, especially the existing oppositions in it, reflects the concept of “unity in diversity” in mysticism.
Methodology
The research method in this article is a combination of descriptive-analytical methods and stylistic approaches. In the first stage, information related to Surah Al-Ikhlas and the concept of mystical Tawhid was collected using interpretive, literary, and mystical sources. Then, using the principles of stylistics, the linguistic structure of the Surah was analyzed at different levels, including the phonetic, lexical, syntactic, and rhetorical levels.
At the phonetic level, the sound features of the words and the repetition of sounds in the Surah were examined. At the lexical level, the selection of specific words and the semantic relationships between them were analyzed. At the syntactic level, the structure of sentences and how they relate to each other were analyzed. At the rhetorical level, literary devices and their role in conveying the meaning of the Surah were examined.
In the next stage, using a mystical approach, the relationship between the linguistic structure of the Surah and the mystical concepts of Tawhid, especially the concept of “unity in diversity,” was explained. This explanation is based on the idea that the linguistic structure of the Surah, especially the oppositions within it, reflects the concept of “unity in diversity” in mysticism. In other words, how multiplicity transforms into unity and vice versa through the linguistic contrasts in the Surah is examined.
Findings and Conclusion
The findings of this research show that Surah Al-Ikhlas, with a concise yet meaningful structure, represents a complex linguistic system that serves to explain the concept of mystical Tawhid. The oppositions present in the Surah, at various levels, particularly at the phonetic level (repetition of the letter “dal” and repetitions of the word “huwa”), semantic level (contrast between “lam yalid” and “lam yulad”), rhetorical level (sentences beginning as “fasl” and ending as “wasl”), and also the compositional system (beginning and ending with the pronoun “huwa”), indicate a unity that appears within diversity.
These oppositions not only express the explicit oneness of God but also lead to the formation of a circular system that goes from unity to diversity and then back to unity. This circular system, in fact, reflects the concept of “Wahdat al-Wujud” (Oneness of Being) in mysticism. In other words, from the mystic’s perspective, everything in the world is a manifestation of the one divine essence and originates from it. This circle, beginning with “huwa” and returning to “huwa”, shows that the origin and destination of all existence are Him, and everything is in Him.
Furthermore, the study of Surah Al-Ikhlas from a mystical point of view shows that the mystic, by understanding this unity, reaches a state of bewilderment and annihilation in the presence of the divine essence. This bewilderment indicates the ultimate understanding and knowledge of the mystic about the divine essence, which is beyond any description or expression. This article shows how the linguistic structure of Surah Al-Ikhlas not only explains the concept of divine Tawhid but also reflects mystical experience.