AL-USLUB (STYLISTIKA ARAB): KONSEP, OBJEK KAJIAN, DAN EVOLUSI TEORITIS DALAM LINTAS SEJARAH PEMIKIRAN BAHASA

Abstract

This study aims to reconstruct the concept, scope, and historical development of the science of al-uslūb (Arabic stylistics) through qualitative library research with a conceptual-critical analysis approach. The study argues that ‘ilm al-uslūb (stylistics), etymologically meaning "path" or "mode of expression," has evolved from an analytical discourse within the classical Arabic rhetorical (balāghah) and literary critical tradition into a systematic modern scholarly discipline. By analyzing key texts ranging from foundational works such as Al-Jurjānī's Dalā’il al-I‘jāz (the theory of al-naẓm) and Al-Bāqillānī's I‘jāz al-Qur’ān, to modern reformist works such as Al-Hāshimi's Al-Uslūbiyyah al-‘Arabiyyah (2021) and Abdul-Raof's Arabic Stylistics (2020), this research reveals the continuity and transformation of uslūb discourse. The findings indicate that the formal object of ‘ilm al-uslūb is the relationship between choices of linguistic form at all levels (from phonology to discourse) and the value of their semantic effect within a specific communicative context. Recent developments are characterized by efforts toward paradigmatic integration between classical balāghah frameworks and modern linguistic theories (such as Systemic Functional Linguistics), although eclectic approaches lacking consistency are often found in applied practice. Therefore, this study concludes that ‘ilm al-uslūb is a living discipline whose roots are firmly embedded in the Arabic intellectual heritage, while its trunk and branches continue to grow through creative dialogue with contemporary developments in linguistic science.