The debate between the Baṣrah and Kūfah schools in Naḥw: A critical discourse analysis of political interests

Hamid, M. Abdul, segaf, baharun, Ibraheem, Lateef Onireti and kaharuddin, kaharuddin (2026) The debate between the Baṣrah and Kūfah schools in Naḥw: A critical discourse analysis of political interests. Studies in English Language and Education (SiELE), 13 (2). pp. 1017-1032. ISSN 2355-2794

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Abstract

The language contains an ideology that is connected to power and domination. This is because language is used depending on a particular ideological point of view and the actions of those holding power. Likewise, the differences in the schools’ (understandings) of Naḥw Baṣrah and Kūfah are also influenced by their users’ ideology and power dominance. Therefore, this study discusses the ideological
dimensions and political interests in the debate between the schools of Naḥw Baṣrah and Kūfah. This study uses the critical discourse analysis (CDA) method on the corpus of literature and dialogues of central figures, such as Sībawayh and al-Kisāʾī, to discuss discursive practices that describe power construction and delegitimization strategies between schools. The results of this study indicate that the methodological differences between the normative Baṣrah and the flexible Kūfah are manifestations of ideological disputes and political interests that affect their legitimacy, not only linguistic. The delegitimization strategy is a symbolic domination tool to protect
each group’s intellectual authority. Therefore, the implications of this research emphasize the urgency of estimating the ideological and political background in the study of Naḥw science, especially in interpreting the polemics of the Baṣrah and Kūfah schools, so that the linguistic approach can be more comprehensive and
critical of the socio-historical context.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	Critical discourse analysis; delegitimization; ideology; power; Naḥw Baṣrah and Kūfah
Subjects:	20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2003 Language Studies > 200318 Middle Eastern Languages 20 LANGUAGE, COMMUNICATION AND CULTURE > 2003 Language Studies
Divisions:	Graduate Schools > Doctoral Programme > Graduate School of Arabic Language Education
Depositing User:	M. Abdul Hamid
Date Deposited:	15 Jul 2026 22:58

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