LessonsDefining the Subject by Demonstration: Rhetorical Purposes of DemonstrativesQuiz

أَهَٰذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَكُمْ
“Is this the one who mentions your gods?”

The interrogative combines a demonstrative with the relative «الذي». The demonstrative foregrounds the specific referent; the clause «يذكر آلهتكم» evokes what is known about his speech. In the opponents' hostile context, the whole utterance conveys ridicule.

The relative clause does not eliminate the demonstrative's independent rhetorical role. A single statement can contain several devices; our focus in this section is why the subject is introduced demonstratively rather than by a bare name or another device alone.

Opening interactive controls...

Analyzing the Qur’anic questioning form

Defining the Subject by Demonstration: Rhetorical Purposes of Demonstratives

أَهَٰذَا الَّذِي يَذْكُرُ آلِهَتَكُمْ
“Is this the one who mentions your gods?”

The interrogative combines a demonstrative with the relative «الذي». The demonstrative foregrounds the specific referent; the clause «يذكر آلهتكم» evokes what is known about his speech. In the opponents' hostile context, the whole utterance conveys ridicule.

The relative clause does not eliminate the demonstrative's independent rhetorical role. A single statement can contain several devices; our focus in this section is why the subject is introduced demonstratively rather than by a bare name or another device alone.