SIMILE: Simile

التشبيه

SIMILE: Simile
Category	Figurative Speech (‘ilm al-bayān)
Subcategory	Explicit Comparison
Balagha-Corpus.com
Corpus data	See examples
Balaghascore.com
Code	B-1
BalaghaBase.org
Code	Q56
OpenAlex
ID	W4415329783
Cite this page
🔗 DOI	10.64393/balagha.Q56
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Taxonomy
ARDT	v0.1.0, v0.1.1

Definition

Simile (al-tashbīh) is an Arabic rhetorical device in which a comparison is established between two entities based on a shared attribute, for the purpose of clarification, praise, dispraise, or related rhetorical ends.

A simile consists of four components:

• The likened-to (al-mushabbah): the subject being described.
• The likened (al-mushabbah bihi): the standard of comparison.
• The simile feature (wajh al-tashbīh): the shared attribute.
• The simile element (ʾadāt al-tashbīh): the linguistic marker linking the two.

Mechanism

From the sources

• Simile establishes a comparison between two entities (the mushabbah and the mushabbah bih) on the basis of a shared attribute (wajh al-shabah).
• The comparison may be signalled by an explicit simile element (adāt al-tashbīh), such as a particle, noun, or verb indicating resemblance.
• The shared attribute may be stated explicitly or omitted and inferred from context.
• The simile element may likewise be present or omitted, producing recognised subtype distinctions.
• In standard Simile construction, the shared attribute is normally stronger or more manifest in the likened (al-mushabbah bih) than in the likened-to (al-mushabbah), since the likened functions as the clearer or stronger exemplar of the attribute. This directionality may be reversed in certain subtypes (see Reverse Simile below).

Encyclopedia Interpretation

• In this encyclopedia, the mechanism is described as varying along two source-attested axes: the presence or omission of the simile feature, and the presence or omission of the simile element.

Recognition

From the sources

Simile may be present when:

• Two entities are placed in a relation of resemblance.
• A shared attribute between them can be identified, whether stated explicitly or understood by implication.
• A simile element (such as kāf or kaʾanna) or another expression of resemblance is present, unless omitted in a recognised subtype such as the Effective Simile (al-tashbīh al-balīgh).

Encyclopedia Interpretation

The following diagnostic tests aid identification:

• Can the expression be paraphrased as: “X is like Y in respect of Z”?
• If no simile element is present, can the omitted comparison still be analytically recovered?
• Do both ends of the comparison remain present in the expression?

Diagnostic Rhetorical Effects

From the sources

• Clarification (bayān al-ḥāl) — making the state or nature of the likened-to intelligible by reference to a familiar standard.
• Demonstrating possibility (bayān imkān al-mushabbah) — establishing that an attribute claimed of the likened-to is plausible by showing it is already exemplified in the likened.
• Establishing degree (bayān miqdār al-ḥāl) — specifying how strongly a quality is possessed by the likened-to through the choice of a likened that exemplifies it to a known degree.
• Confirmation (taqrīr al-ḥāl) — reinforcing and fixing a quality already attributed to the likened-to.
• Praise (tazyin) — elevating the likened-to by associating it with a positively valued likened.
• Dispraise (taqbīḥ) — degrading the likened-to by associating it with a negatively valued likened.

Applying the Recognition Framework

The information on this page can be used to evaluate whether this device is present in a candidate lexical item using the Specific Device Recognition part of the Universal Framework for Identifying Arabic Rhetorical Devices:

• Use the Definition, Mechanism, and Recognition sections of this page in Step 1.
• Apply the substitution test in Step 2.
• Consider contextual indicators in Step 3.
• Use the Diagnostic Rhetorical Effects section of this page in Step 4.

Types of Simile

From the sources

The classical sources classify Simile according to several independent considerations, including the presence or omission of its components, the structure of its two ends, the nature of its shared attribute, and the direction of comparison.

• Type 1: By presence or absence of the simile feature
• Type 2: By presence or absence of the simile element
• Type 3: By number of simile features
• Type 4: By epistemic status of the two ends
• Type 5: By explicitness of structure
• Type 6: Other classical subtypes

Type 1a: Detailed simile (al-tashbīh al-mufaṣṣal)

A simile in which the shared attribute is explicitly named, restricting the comparison to a single clearly defined quality.

Source Example

مُحَمَّدٌ كَالأَسَدِ فِي الشَّجَاعَة

Muḥammad is like a lion in courage.

Explanation

The simile feature (courage) is explicitly stated, restricting the comparison to a single clearly defined attribute. Likened-to: Muḥammad. Likened: a lion. Simile feature: courage (stated). Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

الطَّالِبُ كَالنَّهْرِ فِي الِاسْتِمْرَار

The student is like a river in its constancy.

Explanation

The simile feature (constancy) is explicitly stated. Likened-to: the student. Likened: a river. Simile feature: constancy (stated). Simile element: kāf.

Type 1b: Synopsis simile (al-tashbīh al-mujmal)

A simile in which the shared attribute is omitted, leaving the point of resemblance open to inference.

Source Example

كَلَامُكَ كَالْعَسَل

Your speech is like honey.

Explanation

The simile feature is omitted. No single attribute is named, leaving the reader to infer the point of comparison — sweetness, smoothness, appeal, or all of these simultaneously. Likened-to: your speech. Likened: honey. Simile feature: omitted. Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

الطَّالِبُ كَالنَّهْر

The student is like a river.

Explanation

The simile feature is omitted, leaving multiple attributes — constancy, flow, nourishment — open to inference. Likened-to: the student. Likened: a river. Simile feature: omitted. Simile element: kāf.

Type 2a: Unrestricted simile (al-tashbīh al-mursal)

A simile in which the simile element is explicitly present, visibly marking the relationship as comparison.

Source Example

اَلْكِتَابُ مِثْلُ الصَّدِيق

The book is like a friend.

Explanation

The simile element (mithl) is explicitly present, marking the relationship as comparison and maintaining a visible distinction between the two entities. Likened-to: the book. Likened: a friend. Simile feature: omitted. Simile element: mithl (present).

Constructed Example

الْعِلْمُ كَالنُّورِ يُضِيءُ الطَّرِيق

Knowledge is like a light that illuminates the way.

Explanation

The simile element (kāf) is explicitly present. Likened-to: knowledge. Likened: light. Simile feature: illumination (implied). Simile element: kāf (present).

Type 2b: Confirmed simile (al-tashbīh al-muʾakkad)

A simile in which the simile element is omitted, strengthening the comparison by removing the explicit marker of difference between the two entities.

Source Example

يَمْشِي الطِّفْلُ مَشْيَ السُّلْحَفَاة

The child walks (like) a tortoise.

Explanation

No simile element such as kāf is used. The comparison is implied through the verb of walking and the manner-noun, with the particle suppressed. Likened-to: the child. Likened: a tortoise. Simile feature: slowness (implied). Simile element: absent.

Constructed Example

الْعِلْمُ نُورٌ يُضِيءُ الطَّرِيق

Knowledge is light that illuminates the way.

Explanation

The simile element is omitted while the shared attribute (illumination) remains inferable. The omission reduces the explicit marker of difference between the two entities. Likened-to: knowledge. Likened: light. Simile feature: illumination (implied). Simile element: omitted.

Type 2c: Effective simile (al-tashbīh al-balīgh)

A simile in which both the simile element and the simile feature are omitted, producing a surface form of identity while the comparison remains analytically recoverable. It is the highest-ranking form of simile in terms of eloquence and expressive force.

Source Example

فَأَنْتَ شَمْسٌ وَالْمُلُوكُ كَوَاكِبُ

You are the sun, and the kings are stars.

Explanation

Both the simile element and the simile feature are omitted. The comparison takes the surface form of an identity statement ("you are the sun") while remaining recoverable as a comparison. Because no single feature is named, multiple possible attributes of the sun — brilliance, centrality, unrivalled rank — remain available for inference by the addressee. This is the most compressed form of simile. Likened-to: the addressee. Likened: the sun. Simile feature: omitted. Simile element: omitted.

Constructed Example

الطَّالِبُ نَهْرٌ

The student is a river.

Explanation

Both the simile element and the simile feature are omitted. The student is identified with the river without qualification, leaving all possible attributes — constancy, flow, nourishment, ceaselessness — simultaneously in play. Likened-to: the student. Likened: a river. Simile feature: omitted. Simile element: omitted.

Encyclopedia Interpretation

The effective simile superficially resembles a metaphor (istiʿāra) because both take the surface form "X is Y." The distinction depends on recoverability: in the effective simile both the likened-to and the likened remain present in the expression and the comparison can be analytically restored; in metaphor one term fully substitutes for the other and the original term is absent. The two devices are distinguished as follows:

• In the effective simile the comparison remains analytically recoverable — the statement can be paraphrased as "X is like Y in respect of Z"
• In metaphor one term is fully substituted for the other and the original term is absent — the comparison structure is no longer recoverable

• Simile: "You are the sun" → recoverable as "you are like the sun in brilliance / dominance"
• Metaphor: the original term (e.g. "the king") is absent and "sun" stands in its place entirely

Type 3a: Single-feature simile (al-tashbīh al-mufrad)

A simile in which exactly one attribute links the two ends of the comparison.

Source Example

خَدَّيْكِ كَالْوَرْدَة

Your cheeks are like the rose.

Explanation

Redness is the only attribute shared by both ends of the simile — it is the sole feature linking the cheeks to the rose. Likened-to: your cheeks. Likened: the rose. Simile feature: redness (one feature only). Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

وَجْهُهُ كَالْقَمَر

His face is like the moon.

Explanation

Exactly one attribute — brightness or beauty — links the two ends of the simile. Likened-to: his face. Likened: the moon. Simile feature: brightness or beauty (one feature only). Simile element: kāf.

Type 3b: Multiple-feature simile (al-tashbīh al-mutaʿaddid)

A simile in which two or more independent attributes are shared between the two ends, each of which could be removed without dissolving the comparison.

Source Example

سَالِمٌ كَوَالِدِهِ أَخْلَاقًا وَمَشْيًا وَطُولًا وَصَوْتًا

Sālim is like his father in manners, gait, height, and voice.

Explanation

Four independent attributes are shared between the two ends. Unlike the compound simile, these features are separable: the comparison would remain valid if any one were removed. The accumulation of features strengthens the overall comparison. Likened-to: Sālim. Likened: his father. Simile features: manners, gait, height, voice (four independent features). Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

هَذَا الرَّئِيسُ كَسَابِقِهِ فِي الْكَذِبِ وَالْفَسَادِ وَالْجَهْلِ وَالرِّيَاء

This president is like his predecessor in lying, corruption, ignorance, and hypocrisy.

Explanation

Four independent attributes link the two ends. Each could be removed without dissolving the comparison. Likened-to: this president. Likened: his predecessor. Simile features: lying, corruption, ignorance, hypocrisy (four independent features). Simile element: kāf.

Type 3c: Compound simile (al-tashbīh al-murakkab)

Encyclopedia Interpretation

The terms al-tashbīh al-murakkab and al-tashbīh al-tamthīlī have overlapping but distinct meanings. This encyclopedia uses Compound Simile to refer to a simile whose shared attribute is a composite image drawn from inseparable properties, none of which can be extracted individually without losing the vividness of the whole.

Source Example

النُّجُومُ كَفَقَاعَاتِ الْمَاء

The stars are like water bubbles.

Explanation

The simile feature is not a single attribute but a composite image formed from inseparable properties — roundness, brightness, smallness, and clustering. These cannot be separated without dissolving the image: saying "the stars are like water bubbles in their roundness" produces only an ordinary single-feature simile and loses the vividness of the whole picture. Likened-to: the stars. Likened: water bubbles. Simile feature: the composite image of small, round, luminous, clustered objects (inseparable). Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

أَنْتَ كَالْمُسْتَجِيرِ مِنَ الظُّلْمِ بِفِرْعَوْن

You are like one who seeks refuge from injustice by going to Pharaoh.

Explanation

The simile feature is a composite image — the absurdity of seeking protection from an oppressor — drawn from the inseparable combination of the seeker's predicament and Pharaoh's nature as the symbol of injustice. No single isolated attribute captures the comparison. Likened-to: the addressee. Likened: one who flees injustice toward Pharaoh. Simile feature: self-defeating recourse (composite, inseparable). Simile element: kāf.

Type 4a: Perceptible–Perceptible Simile (ḥissiyyān)

A Simile in which both the likened-to and the likened are perceptible through the senses.

Source Example

شَعْرُ لَيْلَى كَاللَّيْل

Laylā's hair is like the night.

Explanation

Both ends of the Simile are perceptible by sight: the hair and the night. The shared attribute (darkness) is sensory. Likened-to: Laylā's hair. Likened: the night. Simile feature: darkness. Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

صَوْتُهَا كَالْعَنْدَلِيب

Her voice is like a nightingale.

Explanation

Both ends are perceptible by hearing: the voice and the nightingale's song. Likened-to: her voice. Likened: a nightingale. Simile feature: melodiousness. Simile element: kāf.

Type 4b: Cognitive–Cognitive Simile (ʿaqliyyān)

A Simile in which both the likened-to and the likened are intelligible rather than sensory.

Source Example

الْعِلْمُ كَالْحَيَاة

Knowledge is like life.

Explanation

Both ends of the Simile are intelligible rather than perceptible by the senses. The comparison is conceptual: both knowledge and life are understood through the intellect rather than through direct sensory experience. Likened-to: knowledge. Likened: life. Simile feature: vitality or sustaining power (conceptual). Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

الْجَهْلُ كَالْمَوْت

Ignorance is like death.

Explanation

Both ends are intelligible. Neither ignorance nor death is present as a sensory object in the comparison. Likened-to: ignorance. Likened: death. Simile feature: cessation or negation of vital function (conceptual). Simile element: kāf.

Type 4c: Cognitive–Perceptible Simile (ʿaqlī wa-ḥissī)

A Simile in which the likened-to is intelligible and the likened is perceptible.

Source Example

أَرَاؤُكُمْ كَظَلَامِ اللَّيْل

Your ideas are like the darkness of the night.

Explanation

The likened-to (ideas/views) is intelligible, while the likened (darkness of the night) is perceptible by sight. The Simile renders an abstract concept tangible through a sensory image. Likened-to: your ideas. Likened: the darkness of the night. Simile feature: obscurity or confusion. Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

الْقَنَاعَةُ حَلَاوَةٌ كَالْعَسَل

Contentedness is a sweetness like honey.

Explanation

The likened-to (contentedness) is intelligible, while the likened (honey) is perceptible by taste. Likened-to: contentedness. Likened: honey. Simile feature: sweetness. Simile element: kāf.

Type 4d: Perceptible–Cognitive Simile (ḥissī wa-ʿaqlī)

A Simile in which the likened-to is perceptible and the likened is intelligible.

Source Example

صَوْتُكِ أَمَلٌ

Your voice is hope.

Explanation

The likened-to (voice) is perceptible by hearing, while the likened (hope) is an intelligible, non-sensory concept. The Simile clarifies a perceptible entity through an abstract quality. Likened-to: your voice. Likened: hope. Simile feature: the capacity to inspire or lift the spirit. Simile element: omitted (effective simile).

Constructed Example

هَذِهِ الْمُوسِيقَى كَالسَّعَادَة

This music is like happiness.

Explanation

The likened-to (music) is perceptible by hearing, while the likened (happiness) is intelligible. Likened-to: this music. Likened: happiness. Simile feature: elation or uplift. Simile element: kāf.

Type 5a: Explicit simile (al-tashbīh al-ṣarīḥ)

A simile in which the comparison is directly stated and all its structural components are identifiable in the expression.

Constructed Example

الْحَيَاةُ كَالسَّفَرِ — تَبْدَأُ وَتَنْتَهِي

Life is like a journey — it begins and it ends.

Explanation

The comparison is directly stated using a recognised simile structure. The likened-to, the likened, the simile feature, and the simile element are all present and identifiable. This is the default, unmarked form of simile. Likened-to: life. Likened: a journey. Simile feature: having a beginning and an end (stated). Simile element: kāf.

Type 5b: Implicit simile (al-tashbīh al-ḍimniyy)

A simile in which no standard simile structure is used and the comparison is embedded within a statement that functions as a logical proof or illustration, recoverable only by analysis.

Source Example

وَمَنْ يَهُنْ يَسْهُلُ الْهَوَانُ عَلَيْهِ — مَا لِجُرْحِ الْمَيِّتِ إِيلَامُ

For one who accepts humiliation, humiliation becomes easy — a wound does not pain the dead.

Explanation

The comparison is not expressed in any standard simile form. The second clause (a wound does not pain the dead) functions as a logical proof for the claim in the first, while implying that the person who accepts humiliation is like a dead body. The simile can be extracted by analysis but is never stated directly. Likened-to: the one who accepts humiliation (implied). Likened: a dead body (implied). Simile feature: inability to feel pain (implied). Simile element: absent.

Constructed Example

لَا تَطْلُبِ الْعِلْمَ فِي شَيْخُوخَتِكَ — النَّقْشُ عَلَى الْحَجَرِ يَبْقَى وَالنَّقْشُ عَلَى الْمَاءِ يَزُول

Do not seek knowledge in old age — engraving on stone endures, and engraving on water vanishes.

Explanation

The second clause implies a comparison between the young mind and stone (receptive, retentive) and the aged mind and water (unable to hold impressions). No simile element or explicit comparison structure is used. Likened-to: the young mind and the aged mind (implied). Likened: stone and water (implied). Simile feature: capacity for retention (implied). Simile element: absent.

Type 6a: Reverse simile (al-tashbīh al-maqlūb)

A simile in which the normal direction of comparison is inverted, placing the conventional standard in the position of the likened-to so as to imply that the subject surpasses it. For the inversion to be effective, it must operate within a context of established convention, so that the reversal is recognisable as such; where the inversion is not grounded in familiar usage, the comparison risks obscurity.

Source Example

كَأَنَّ ضَوْءَ الصَّبَاحِ جَبِينُهُ

It is as though the light of morning is his forehead.

Explanation

The normal direction of comparison is reversed. The conventional simile would place the forehead as the likened-to and the light of morning as the likened. Here the order is inverted: the light of morning is placed as if it were being measured against the forehead. The rhetorical implication is that the subject surpasses the conventional standard — dawn itself can only be understood by reference to his forehead. Normal order: forehead (likened-to) → light of morning (likened). Reversed: light of morning (placed as likened-to) → forehead (placed as likened). Simile feature: brightness. Simile element: kaʾanna.

Constructed Example

كَأَنَّ الْبَدْرَ وَجْهُهَا لَيْلَةَ تَمَامِه

It is as though the full moon is her face on the night of its completion.

Explanation

The conventional simile would be "her face is like the full moon." The reversal places the moon in the position of the likened-to, implying that her face is the true standard — the moon's beauty can only be measured against hers. Simile feature: radiance and perfection. Simile element: kaʾanna.

Type 6b: Imaginary simile (al-tashbīh al-wahamiyy)

A simile in which the likened has no real-world existence, allowing the standard of comparison to represent an extreme unachievable by any actual entity. This is sometimes described under Cognitive–Cognitive Simile (ʿaqliyyān).

Source Example

أَسْنَانُهَا كَأَنْيَابِ الْغُولِ فِي الْبَأْس

Her teeth are like the fangs of a ghoul in their ferocity.

Explanation

The likened (the fangs of a ghoul) has no real-world existence. Because the standard of comparison is not constrained by physical reality, it can represent an extreme that no real entity could provide. Likened-to: her teeth. Likened: the fangs of a ghoul (imaginary entity). Simile feature: ferocity. Simile element: kāf.

Constructed Example

رَأْسُهُ كَرَأْسِ الشَّيْطَان

His head is like the devil's head.

Explanation

The likened (the devil's head) does not exist as a perceptible object — it is a product of imagination. The comparison draws on a culturally understood image of ugliness or wickedness without being bound by any real referent. Likened-to: his head. Likened: the devil's head (imaginary entity). Simile feature: ugliness or evil (imaginary). Simile element: kāf.

Comparison of Types of Simile

Encyclopedia Interpretation

The following tables are an editorial pedagogical aid created by this encyclopedia to illustrate, using a single controlled scenario, how the source-attested Simile subtypes differ structurally across each classificatory axis. They are not themselves a classical taxonomic scheme, but a synthetic comparison derived from the subtype distinctions attested in the sources.

The following comparison uses a single base scenario: a student is compared to a river. The literal baseline is given first, followed by the different simile types within each axis, so that the structural change in each type can be seen clearly. Within each axis, subtypes are ordered from the most explicit or conventional form (a) to the most compressed, inverted, or departing form.

Constructed Example

الطالبُ مجتهدٌ.

The student is hardworking.

Explanation

This sentence is literal and contains no simile. It serves as a neutral baseline across all six tables.

Type 1: By presence or absence of the simile feature

Type	Arabic Example	English Gloss	What is stated?	What is omitted?	Mechanism
Type 1a: Detailed simile (mufaṣṣal)	الطالبُ كالنهرِ في الاستمرار.	The student is like a river in its constancy.	Likened-to + likened + feature + element	Nothing	The shared attribute is explicitly named
Type 1b: Synopsis simile (mujmal)	الطالبُ كالنهر.	The student is like a river.	Likened-to + likened + element	Feature	The shared attribute is omitted and left to inference

Type 2: By presence or absence of the simile element

Type	Arabic Example	English Gloss	What is stated?	What is omitted?	Mechanism
Type 2a: Unrestricted simile (mursal)	الطالبُ كالنهرِ في الاستمرار.	The student is like a river in its constancy.	All four components	Nothing	Explicit comparison marker maintains visible distinction between the two entities
Type 2b: Confirmed simile (muʾakkad)	الطالبُ نهرٌ في الاستمرار.	The student is a river in constancy.	Likened-to + likened + feature	Element	The comparison is asserted without a marker, increasing force
Type 2c: Effective simile (balīgh)	الطالبُ نهرٌ.	The student is a river.	Likened-to + likened	Feature + element	Maximum compression: comparison takes the form of identity but remains recoverable

Type 3: By number of simile features

Type	Arabic Example	English Gloss	What is stated?	What is omitted?	Mechanism
Type 3a: Single-feature simile (mufrad)	الطالبُ كالنهرِ في الاستمرار.	The student is like a river in its constancy.	One shared attribute	—	Exactly one attribute links the two ends
Type 3b: Multiple-feature simile (mutaʿaddid)	الطالبُ كالنهرِ في الاستمرارِ والنفعِ والجريان.	The student is like a river in constancy, usefulness, and flow.	Multiple independent attributes	—	Several separable attributes accumulate to strengthen the comparison
Type 3c: Compound simile (murakkab)	الطلابُ كأنهارٍ تتدفق في الأرض تُروي كلَّ شيء.	The students are like rivers flowing across the land, nourishing everything.	Composite image	—	The shared attribute is an inseparable composite image, not a list of individual attributes

Type 4: By epistemic status of the two ends

Type	Arabic Example	English Gloss	Likened-to	Likened	Mechanism
Type 4a: Perceptible–Perceptible (ḥissiyyān)	الطالبُ كالنهرِ في الجريان.	The student is like a river in its flow.	Perceptible (person)	Perceptible (river)	Both ends are accessible through the senses
Type 4b: Cognitive–Cognitive (ʿaqliyyān)	الاجتهادُ كالنجاح في قيمته.	Diligence is like success in its value.	Intelligible (diligence)	Intelligible (success)	Both ends are accessible through the intellect only
Type 4c: Cognitive–Perceptible (ʿaqlī wa-ḥissī)	اجتهادُ الطالبِ كالنهرِ في الاستمرار.	The student's diligence is like a river in its constancy.	Intelligible (diligence)	Perceptible (river)	An abstract concept is rendered tangible through a sensory image
Type 4d: Perceptible–Cognitive (ḥissī wa-ʿaqlī)	الطالبُ كالنجاح يُلهم من حوله.	The student is like success — he inspires those around him.	Perceptible (person)	Intelligible (success)	A perceptible entity is characterised through an abstract quality

Type 5: By explicitness of structure

Type	Arabic Example	English Gloss	What is stated?	What is omitted?	Mechanism
Type 5a: Explicit simile (ṣarīḥ)	الطالبُ كالنهرِ في الاستمرار.	The student is like a river in its constancy.	All components identifiable	Nothing	The comparison is directly stated in recognisable simile form
Type 5b: Implicit simile (ḍimnī)	لا تيأس — النهرُ لا يتوقف عن الجريان.	Do not despair — a river never stops flowing.	A separate illustrative statement	Explicit comparison structure	The comparison is embedded in a proof or illustration, recoverable only by analysis

Type 6: Other classical subtypes

Type	Arabic Example	English Gloss	What is stated?	What is omitted?	Mechanism
Type 6a: Reverse simile (maqlūb)	كأنَّ النهرَ طالبٌ لا يكفُّ عن السعي.	It is as though the river is a student who never ceases striving.	Reversed roles	Normal direction	The standard of comparison is placed in the position of the likened-to, implying the subject surpasses it
Type 6b: Imaginary simile (wahamiyy)	الطالبُ كالطائرِ الأسطوريِّ الذي لا يتعب أبداً.	The student is like the mythical bird that never tires.	Imagined entity as standard	Real-world referent	The standard of comparison has no real-world existence, allowing an extreme unachievable by any actual entity

Different From

• METAPH: Metaphor — Simile and Metaphor may share the same surface form when the simile element and simile feature are omitted, as in the Effective Simile (al-tashbīh al-balīgh). In such cases, the distinction depends on recoverability: if the comparison can still be analytically restored (“X is like Y in respect of Z”), the expression remains Simile; if one term fully substitutes for the other and the original term is absent, it is Metaphor (istiʿāra).
• Analogical metaphor (tamthīl) — Simile is the comparison of two single terms, whereas analogy (tamthīl) is the comparison of two sets of terms or, grammatically, two sentences.

See Also

• Disambiguation page for Figurative Speech (‘ilm al-bayān)

Notes

• The term wajh al-tashbīh (wajh al-tashbīh) is rendered throughout as simile feature. It is also translated in secondary literature as "ground of similarity" or "point of resemblance." The choice of "simile feature" follows the convention of Abdul-Raof (2006).
• The term ʾadāt al-tashbīh (ʾadāt al-tashbīh) is rendered as simile element. It is also referred to in some sources as the "simile particle" or "simile instrument." ʿAkkāwī (1996, p. 51) distinguishes three types of simile instrument: particles (ḥarf, principally الكاف and كأنّ), nouns (ism, such as مثل، شبه، مثيل), and verbs (fiʿl, such as يشبه، يحاكي، يماثل).
• The terms mufrad and murakkab are used differently across sources. In Abdul-Raof (2006), mufrad designates a simile with a single simile feature. In Nāṣif (pp. 87–88), mufrad and murakkab designate the structural simplicity or complexity of the two ends of the simile (طرفا التشبيه) — that is, whether each term is a single entity or a composite image — which is a distinct dimension from the number of features.
• Al-Mubārrad's classification of similes into four grades based on the aptness of the comparison - exaggerated (mufriṭ), apt (muṣīb), close (muqārib), and remote (baʿīd) - assesses the quality of the match between the two ends of the simile, rather than the mechanism by which the simile operates. It therefore falls outside the mechanism-first typology of this encyclopedia, and is not included.

Page history

• 2026-02-10 - Migration to Semantic Device Identifiers: Renamed from B-1: Simile to SIMILE: Simile.
• 2025-11-20 - Page incorporated into the Arabic Rhetorical Device Taxonomy (v0.1.1).
• 2024-04-22 - Page created: Simile.

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