نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی
عنوان مقاله English
نویسنده English
Semantics, as a central discipline in linguistic studies, investigates the systematic organization of meaning and the network of relationships that link lexical items within a conceptual system. In Qurʾānic studies, semantic analysis can illuminate the subtle rhetorical precision and conceptual coherence that characterize the Qurʾānic discourse. This study seeks to map the semantic network of the Qurʾānic concepts of “deferral and respite” by examining eight key lexemes: irtiqāb, irjāʾ, imlāʾ, imhāl, taʾkhīr, ruwayd, nasaʾ, and naẓar. The central research problem concerns the semantic coherence of these terms and the fine conceptual distinctions through which the Qurʾān expresses the divine pattern (sunnah ilāhiyyah) of postponement and reprieve. Employing a descriptive analytical method within the framework of structural semantics, the study conducts componential analysis and investigates syntagmatic relations (co occurrence patterns) as well as semantic oppositions among the selected lexemes. The findings indicate that although all eight terms belong to a shared semantic field centered on the notion of postponement, each lexeme contains distinctive semantic components that highlight a particular dimension of the divine pattern of deferral. Within this lexical network, taʾkhīr functions as the central semantic node, while the remaining terms cluster around four principal dimensions: expectation, temporal duration, manner or quality of action, and purpose or outcome. The analysis also identifies significant semantic oppositions, most notably the contrast between imlāʾ—a reprieve associated with the process of istidrāj (gradual entrapment leading to ruin)—and imhāl, which denotes a merciful reprieve that grants opportunity and respite. Overall, the results demonstrate that the Qurʾān employs each of these lexemes with remarkable contextual precision, and that the coherent network formed by these terms reflects an aspect of the rhetorical inimitability and semantic depth of Qurʾānic discourse.
کلیدواژهها English
