The investigation of mood and modality in the first letter of Nahj al-Balagheh based on the interpersonal metafunction of Halliday’s systemic functional grammar

Abstract

Believing that some particular texts worth scientific studies, we put the first letter of Nahj al-Balagheh under investigation according to the concept of mood and modality in the interpersonal metafunction of Halliday’s systemic functional grammar. A brief literature of mood and modality is given first. Then, the theoretical framework of the study is set, and finally, the text of the letter is analysed and explained according to the theory. The result indicated that the theory is assignable to Arabic, the language of the letter, but mediation is needed. The mood structure is mostly leaning on the predicator as it pays an important role in showing tense, polarity and modality of the clause. Subject and modal adjuncts are also apparent in some clauses as mood elements. The text of the letter is composed mostly of positive statements so that a knowledgeable source, Imam Ali, gives information to a group of unaware deceived people about the controversial subject of the third Khalifeh’s death. Some imperative clauses are also included to warn the people and to offer them the correct way.

Keywords: Mood, modality, interpersonal metafunction, systemic functional grammar.