Rhetoric in the Proverbs of al-Hariri's Maqamat: A Pragmatic Approach

Abstract

      The study aimed to explore the impact of proverbs as a rhetorical tool in al-Hariri’s Maqamat, focusing on their role in influencing, persuading, and leading to compliance, while enhancing the recipient’s cognitive revelation.
      The researchers adopted a pragmatic approach, emphasizing the role of proverbs as a rhetorical mechanism that influences the audience and triggers responses, leading to behavioral changes based on the frameworks set by the proverbs.

        The study’s findings revealed that al-Hariri deliberately used proverbs in his Maqamat as an effective rhetorical tool, playing a key role in presenting ideas, guiding dialogue, and persuading. He successfully highlighted the persuasive power of these proverbs, establishing them as strong authorities used as proof and evidence in both introductions and rhetorical conclusions. The study also demonstrated the effectiveness of proverbs in disputes and other dialogical contexts such as political, social, and literary criticism, where they are used for multiple purposes, including defense, attack, rebuttal, justification, and sometimes intimidation and threat. These proverbs also contributed to the hero’s objectives in the Maqamat, whether in deception and trickery, or in providing advice, guidance, and drawing lessons.