Quranic Studies and Islamic Culture

An Analysis of the Concept of Time in the Qur’an: A Semantic Approach Based on Izutsu

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

Ali Reza Zakizadeh Renani 1
Ali Asghar Eslami Tanha 2
Sadiqeh Taheri 3

1 Assistant Professor , Institute for Humanities and Cultural Studies (IHCS) , Tehran, Iran,

2 Assistant Professor of Cultural and Communication Studies, Baqir al-Olum University, Qom , Iran

3 PhD student in Comparative Exegesis, Fatimah Al-Zahra Seminary, Isfahan, Iran

10.22034/isqs.2026.54071.2471
Abstract
This article examines the semantic analysis of vocabulary related to the concept of “time” in the Holy Qur’an. The main objective is to provide a comprehensive conceptual framework for achieving a deeper understanding of time from the Qur’anic perspective. Adopting a descriptive–analytical approach and employing the method of Qur’anic semantics, this study investigates key temporal terms within authoritative exegetical texts. The data collected from the Qur’an and its commentaries were categorized according to two criteria: “generality” (broad temporal concepts such as the worldly life, the Hereafter, past, present, and future) and “specificity” (more particular terms such as day, month, year, and eternity).The findings indicate that the Holy Qur’an presents time not merely as a quantitative concept dependent on events (that which contains events), but also as a qualitative, independent, and substantial reality. The “relativity” of time, alongside its “real” nature, suggests that time is not only unaffected by its own internal constitution but also exerts influence upon that which it contains. The Qur’an does not portray time solely in a linear manner (as a sequence of events); rather, the connection between past and future within the present moment is emphasized in its verses

Keywords

Time
Quran
Waqt
Qur'anic Semantics. Izutsu
Subjects
Quranic Studies and Islamic Culture

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 06 August 2026

  • Receive Date 25 January 2026
  • Revise Date 04 August 2026
  • Accept Date 05 August 2026

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