Elliptical Eloquence in The Qur’an: A Framework for Rhetorical-Stylistic and Digital Tafsir

Abstract

This qualitative conceptual study proposes a rhetorical-stylistic framework, term the Elliptical Eloquence Framework (EEF), for interpreting ḥadhf (elliptical constructions) in the Qur’an as intentional devices of theological and aesthetic meaning rather than syntactic anomaly. Adopting a qualitative interpretive design, the study employs close textual analysis informed by classical Arabic rhetorical principles of ījāz and balāghah, supported by thematic coding of elliptical instances across three selected short surahs (Sūrah al-Fīl, Sūrah al-ʿAṣr, and Sūrah al-Kawthar). Analytically, the EEF advances four dimensions: lexical minimalism, syntactic suspension, semantic density, and affective load derived through iterative annotation aligned with corpus-assisted inquiry. Methodologically, the study integrates classical tafsīr discourse with emerging digital supports, including Qur’anBERT and corpus-based tagging, situated within a musāʿid (assistant) paradigm consistent with Islamic epistemology. The framework does not evaluate tool performance; its contribution lies in modelling how computational methods may function as qualitative aids under ethical safeguards such as human-in-the-loop verification, theological calibration, and resistance to digital desacralization. The results demonstrate how elliptical structures can be systematized and analyzed qualitatively at scale, offering a transferable model for future studies on Qur’anic rhetoric and digital hermeneutics.