Pragmatic Implications of Topicalisation in Selected Prophetic Hadiths
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25130/Lang.9.2.P2.9Keywords:
topicalization, rhetorical purposes, speech act, presupposition, implicature.Abstract
This study explores the pragmatic functions of topicalization in selected Prophetic Hadiths, aiming to uncover its rhetorical, communicative, and interpretive roles. The core linguistic problem addressed is the limited scholarly attention to how topicalization contributes to meaning-making in religious discourse, particularly in Hadith literature. Despite the prevalence of syntactic fronting in Arabic, its pragmatic implications in sacred texts remain underexplored. This research analyzes how topicalization enhances rhetorical clarity, performs speech acts, generates presuppositions, and creates implicatures.The analysis is based on a randomly selected sample of seven Hadith examples, each examined for its pragmatic dimensions. The procedure involves identifying the rhetorical purposes of topicalization, followed by categorizing the speech acts performed, and then analyzing the presuppositions and implicatures generated.To guide the analysis, four theoretical models are employed: Al-Jurjani’s (1992) theory which explains rhetorical effects of word order; Searle’s (1969) classification of speech acts; Yule’s (1996) taxonomy of presuppositions; and Grice’s (1976) theory of implicature. Together, these models provide a comprehensive framework to interpret the communicative strategies in the Hadiths. The study reveals that topicalization is a strategic tool to emphasize divine authority, provoke reflection, and transmit layered ethical meanings, reinforcing the enduring power of Islamic discourse.
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