Speech Acts in Al-Risalah al-Adhraʾ by Abu al-Yusr Ibrahim al-Shaybani

Abstract

This study investigates speech acts in Al-Risalah al-Adhraʾ by Abu al-Yusr Ibrahim al-Shaybani through a pragmatic analytical framework. As a representative text of Abbasid epistolary literature, the letter is examined as a communicative discourse structured around the relationship between sender and recipient within a specific contextual setting. The research focuses on how linguistic expressions function as speech acts that accomplish educational and ethical purposes rather than merely stylistic or rhetorical effects. Drawing on speech act theory, the study analyzes different categories of acts present in the text, including assertive, directive, commissive, expressive, and declarative acts. Particular attention is given to the ways in which these acts contribute to the instructional character of the letter and its persuasive communicative function. The findings demonstrate that directive speech acts dominate the discourse, reflecting the pedagogical orientation of the text and its emphasis on guidance and instruction. Assertive and declarative acts appear as complementary mechanisms supporting the communicative goals of the letter. The study highlights the effectiveness of pragmatic analysis in revealing the illocutionary force and communicative intentions embedded in classical Arabic epistolary texts, thereby underscoring the value of pragmatic methodology in interpreting the rhetorical and functional dimensions of early Arabic prose.