التشبیہ فی شعر الشیخ محمد یوسف البنوری: دراسة بلاغیة

Simile in the Poetry of Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf al-Banuri: A Rhetorical and Analytical Study

Abstract

This research paper presents a rhetorical study of simile (tashbīh) in the Arabic poetry of Shaykh Muhammad Yusuf al-Banuri (d. 1397 AH / 1977 CE), a renowned Islamic scholar, Hadith specialist, and poet from the Indian subcontinent. Al-Banuri was a distinguished student of the eminent Hadith scholar Shaykh Muhammad Anwar Shah al-Kashmiri and later founded Jamia Arabia Islamia in Karachi, Pakistan. His poetry collection, Al-Qaṣāʾid al-Banūriyyah, reflects his profound command of the Arabic language, his deep spiritual insight, and his mastery of rhetorical devices. This study examines the various types of similes employed by al-Banuri, including explicit simile (al-tashbīh al-muṣarraḥ), implicit simile (al-tashbīh al-muḍmar), concise simile (al-tashbīh al-mujmal), and emphatic simile (al-tashbīh al-balīgh). The research analyzes the rhetorical components of each simile—the tenor (al-mushabbah), vehicle (al-mushabbah bihi), particle of comparison (adat al-tashbīh), and the ground of comparison (wajh al-shabbah)—and explores the semantic fields from which al-Banuri draws his imagery, including celestial bodies (the sun, moon, stars), natural phenomena (trees, rain, springs), and abstract concepts (strength, unity, guidance). The study concludes that al-Banuri's use of simile is characterized by precision, creativity, and deep spiritual symbolism. His similes not only enhance the aesthetic beauty of his poetry but also serve to convey profound religious and moral messages, reflecting his unique synthesis of traditional Islamic scholarship and literary expression.