Abstract:
Prophet Muhammad and his Progeny (Peace Be Upon Them,
henceforth P.B.U.T.) have set the seeds of many human and natural
sciences, including linguistic-related reflections. As such, the current
study concords with the assumption that these great Islamic figures have
had their essential impact on the subsequent fields of study concentrating
on language, rhetoric and communication. Argument is hypothesized by
this study to be one of the most prominent aspects of that influential role
of Prophet Muhammad and his Progeny. Argument has been widely
employed in the religious speeches delivered to Muslims and to other
religions followers by Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) and his progeny
(P.B.U.H.) in defense of Islam and Islamic fundamentals and in pursuit
of establishing the basic rights and humanistic principles sought by
Islam. Lady Fatimatulzahra (P.B.U.H.), the daughter of Prophet
Muhammad (P.B.U.H.), wife of Imam Ali and the mother of Imam
Hasan and Imam Hussein (P.B.U.H.) is a case in point of this belief.
Moreover, the great and knowing personality of Lady Fatimatulzahra
represents a rich source for linguistic studies. Lady Fatimatulzahra's
(P.B.U.H.) speech is characterized by various pragma-rhetorical aspects
which need a careful study and investigation. Thus, this study has set
itself the aims of identifying some of the most significant pragmarhetorical
strategies of argument employed by her. Further, how these
strategies have been used to get her argumentative aims fulfilled. The
results and discussions of this study have arrived at the conclusions that
the most frequent pragma-rhetorical strategies utilized by her are:
Rhetorical Questions, Metaphors and Warrants. In addition, she has
made use of these strategies to persuade her audience successfully.