LessonsIstiʿārah: Definition, Figurative Identification and the Linguistic–Intellectual DebateQuiz

وَالِاسْتِعَارَةُ تُفَارِقُ الْكَذِبَ بِوَجْهَيْنِ
Metaphor differs from falsehood in two respects.

First, it is built upon an interpretable resemblance: “lion” can indicate courage or power. Second, a contextual indicator signals that the speaker does not intend the literal zoological assertion.

A false assertion, by contrast, purports to establish the very proposition that fails to match reality. In metaphor the apparent nonliteral attribution is a vehicle for communicating the intended trait or sense. Therefore nonliteral expression and deliberate false reporting must not be treated as synonymous.

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Metaphor versus falsehood

Istiʿārah: Definition, Figurative Identification and the Linguistic–Intellectual Debate

وَالِاسْتِعَارَةُ تُفَارِقُ الْكَذِبَ بِوَجْهَيْنِ
Metaphor differs from falsehood in two respects.

First, it is built upon an interpretable resemblance: “lion” can indicate courage or power. Second, a contextual indicator signals that the speaker does not intend the literal zoological assertion.

A false assertion, by contrast, purports to establish the very proposition that fails to match reality. In metaphor the apparent nonliteral attribution is a vehicle for communicating the intended trait or sense. Therefore nonliteral expression and deliberate false reporting must not be treated as synonymous.