LessonsDefining the Subject by a Relative Pronoun: Purposes and Rhetorical ApplicationsQuiz

A relative clause can also produce indirect disparagement (التعريض بالإهانة لشأن الخبر). By supplying an unfavorable attribute first, the speaker can make the subsequent announcement sound incongruous, ironic, or blameworthy.

Example:
«إن الذي لا يحسن معرفة الفقه قد صنف فيه كتاباً» — Someone who does not properly understand jurisprudence has nevertheless authored a book about it.

The clash between lack of competence and authorship generates the critical effect. The point is not to define jurisprudence but to show the mismatch between the person's qualification and the announcement about the book.

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Indirect disparagement through the clause

Defining the Subject by a Relative Pronoun: Purposes and Rhetorical Applications

A relative clause can also produce indirect disparagement (التعريض بالإهانة لشأن الخبر). By supplying an unfavorable attribute first, the speaker can make the subsequent announcement sound incongruous, ironic, or blameworthy.

Example:
«إن الذي لا يحسن معرفة الفقه قد صنف فيه كتاباً» — Someone who does not properly understand jurisprudence has nevertheless authored a book about it.

The clash between lack of competence and authorship generates the critical effect. The point is not to define jurisprudence but to show the mismatch between the person's qualification and the announcement about the book.