| Summary: | This article explores intertextuality as a rhetorical device in the making of argumentation in Arabic as illustrated by a speech by Osama Bin Laden. The analysis shows that, in order to make an argument in his speech, Bin Laden has employed three major forms of intertextuality: Qur’anic intertextuality, prophetic intertextuality and anecdotal intertextuality. The analysis reveals that the speech is typical of Islamic benediction “prelude”, careful use of terminologies and intertextual chronologicality. Although the translator is likely to maintain the effect of general Arabic discourse, he/she encounters an array of discoursal difficulties when rendering some intertextual potentials. The article finally shows how important it is to maintain the communicative thrust of the speech by means of meticulous attention to the intertextualities the speech is replete with.
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