Figurative Language in Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal : A Rhetorical and Analytical Study with Aupplied Models

Abstract

       This research, entitled "Rhetorical Imagery in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal: An Analytical Rhetorical Study – Applied Models", aims to analyze selected models from the noble Prophetic hadiths in Musnad Ahmad. The study relies on specialized scholarly sources in the field, alongside the researcher’s own interpretation of the selected texts, to elucidate the rhetorical imagery, highlight its expressive meanings, and reveal the depth of the rhetoric of our Master Muhammad (peace be upon him), his style, and the aesthetic rhetorical features in his statements.

The central research question is: How is rhetorical imagery manifested in the Musnad of Imam Ahmad, and what is its rhetorical impact in enhancing meaning and significance in the Prophetic hadiths?

Through the analysis of rhetorical patterns—including simile (tashbīh), metonymy (majāz), metaphor (istiʿārah), and allusion (kināyah)—in selected Prophetic hadiths from Musnad Ahmad, this research uncovers the expressive and semantic functions of rhetorical imagery within their textual contexts. It employs the descriptive-analytical method and rhetorical method to present in-depth applied models that highlight the aesthetic quality and persuasive power of the Prophetic language.