العطف المتداخل بـ "ثم" في القرآن الكريم : دراسة تحليلية Al-ʿAṭf al-Mutadākhil bi 'Thumma' in the Qur'ān: An Analytical Study

Abstract

This study examines the particle "ثم" thumma, one of the significant particles of meaning (ḥurūf al-maʿānī) in the Arabic language, by exploring its Qur'anic usages that go beyond its conventional meaning, namely, denoting sequential order with temporal delay between the conjuncts. The research draws attention to a distinctive pattern of coordination, which it terms "interwoven coordination", wherein the temporal relationship between the two events is not straightforwardly successive, but rather the second event overlaps with or intersects the first at various stages. The study begins with a foundational review of the views of classical linguists and exegetes on the meanings of thumma, then proceeds to analyze several Qur'anic passages that appear to exemplify this particular usage. It raises the question of whether this usage justifies being recognized as a distinct linguistic category, and highlights the rhetorical functions this style serves in certain contexts—especially its role in manifesting divine patterns (sunan) in history, as illustrated in Sūrat al-Mu’minūn. The research concludes that the phenomenon of interwoven coordination represents a distinct linguistic feature within Qur'anic usage, supported by credible textual evidence. It also serves powerful rhetorical purposes, most notably in intensifying the theme of divine law and affirming the inevitable outcome of denial, as exemplified in the case study from Sūrat al-Mu’minūn.