Stylistics of Saduq in the Book Kamal al-Din ‎wa Tamam al-Ni'ma

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Graduate of Level Four in Explanatory Imamate from the Specialized Center for Imam Studies and a Full Member of the Scientific Association of Imamate in Islamic Seminary, Qom, Iran.

10.22081/jm.2025.71016.1105

Abstract

Accessing the thought of the author of a work can be achieved through various methods, one of which is recognizing the author's style. Stylistics is the method of using language in a specific context by a specific person for a particular purpose. Applying this method to examine works in the field of Mahdism provides new insights for researchers in this field. Shaykh Saduq should be considered one of the prominent writers of the occultation era in the 4th century AH, who introduced a new approach to discussing Mahdism in his book Kamal al-Din wa Tamam al-Ni'mah. Stylistic analysis of Shaykh Saduq’s Kamal al-Din involves understanding the lexical and semantic domains, text structure, the foundational issues of the text, and the methodology. This paper aims to identify his style by describing and analyzing the data in the book Kamal al-Din. Unlike scholars before him, such as Saffar and Kulayni, Shaykh Saduq frequently uses the term "Khalifah" (Caliph) as a key word. Investigation into his style shows that he considers "Khalifah" as representing the true essence of Imamate, and believes that the stability of the universe depends on the existence of a Caliph. He also views the recognition of this term as a suitable entry point to address the issues of occultation. The term "Ghaybah" (occultation) in the book is consistently used in the meaning of being hidden, in contrast to "non-existence." Moreover, in issues related to Mahdism, he draws comparisons between Imam Mahdi and past Prophets, and the chapter of narrations in Kamal al-Din is consistent with the theological theories of the work.

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References

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History

  • Receive Date: 05 February 2025
  • Revise Date: 08 March 2025
  • Accept Date: 11 March 2025

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