LessonsSupplementary Practice 20: Comparative Rhetorical Study of Sūrat al-Humazah and al-FīlQuiz

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
And what could make you know what the Crusher is? (الهمزة: 5)

The question is not a request for information from the listener. It creates awe and anticipation around the previously named Ḥuṭamah. Its substance has not yet been explained.

The next verse gives the clarification. This is a strong case of clarification after an intentionally suspenseful introduction: the audience is drawn to the question before receiving the answer. The effect is more than a dictionary definition; it shapes the response to the warning.

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Magnification through a rhetorical question

Supplementary Practice 20: Comparative Rhetorical Study of Sūrat al-Humazah and al-Fīl

وَمَا أَدْرَاكَ مَا الْحُطَمَةُ
And what could make you know what the Crusher is? (الهمزة: 5)

The question is not a request for information from the listener. It creates awe and anticipation around the previously named Ḥuṭamah. Its substance has not yet been explained.

The next verse gives the clarification. This is a strong case of clarification after an intentionally suspenseful introduction: the audience is drawn to the question before receiving the answer. The effect is more than a dictionary definition; it shapes the response to the warning.