Quranic Studies and Islamic Culture

Abstract Surah Luqman is one of the Qur’anic surahs that, due to its focus on concepts such as wisdom, monotheism, gratitude, individual and social ethics, as well as its use of the pedagogical dialogue between Luqman and his son, possesses considerable potential for linguistic and communicative analysis. Drawing on Roman Jakobson’s communicative theory (1896–1982), this article analyzes the linguistic functions of Surah Luqman. The main research problem is how Surah Luqman, through its linguistic devices, establishes effective communication between the sender, namely God, and the direct receivers of the text, namely human addressees, while conveying divine concepts within a multilayered structure. The study adopts a descriptive-analytical method and, based on an analysis of Surah Luqman, examines the communicative elements and Jakobson’s six linguistic functions: referential, emotive, phatic/empathetic, metalingual, conative, and poetic. The findings indicate that the linguistic functions in Surah Luqman can be identified on the basis of linguistic evidence, including morphological and syntactic features, as well as semantic and contextual evidence. Moreover, in cases where several functions occur simultaneously, a distinction must be made between the dominant function and subsidiary functions.

Abstract The first step towards achieving the teachings of the Quran is to carefully examine its lexical meanings. With the expansion of semantic approaches in Quranic research, a new method has been formed in this field, which aims to discover the hidden layers of meanings in the verses of the Quran. The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and focusing on the word "broadcasting" as the main axis, has conducted a comparative study of this concept with other related words in the field of information dissemination. Words such as "dissemination", "expression", "expression", "expression", "announcement", "invitation" and "statement" are among the keywords that have the most semantic similarities with "broadcasting" and have been analyzed in this study. The findings of the study show that: “Dissemination” refers to spreading along with expansion and development. “Expression” refers to revealing hidden matters or expressing victory and domination. “Expression” refers to the emergence of an object from its previous state in a tangible and visible way. “Ibda” is used in cases where there is no prior intention or authority to disclose information. “Ijhar” reaches the level of disclosure and frank expression. “Idda” refers to the meaning of splitting. “Byan” emphasizes clarity, development, and emergence.

Abstract Time is a fundamental and abstract concept that has consistently attracted the attention of researchers across various fields, including cognitive linguistics. Within this framework, time is examined in cognitive semantics through conceptual metaphors and in cognitive grammar through the functions of grammatical tense. Using a descriptive-analytical method, the present study analyzes the non-temporal functions of the past tense in Quranic Arabic to clarify their relationship with the language’s conceptualization of time. The findings show that the non-temporal uses of the past tense in the Quran—including timeless truths, the future as an accomplished fact, inherent characteristics, and divine supplications—reflect the predominance of stability and certainty. This pattern contrasts with the non-temporal functions of the past tense in Persian and English, which are grounded in epistemic distance. The difference between these patterns reflects distinct modes of conceptualizing time. In Quranic Arabic, the past is conceptualized as lying ahead and the future behind, based on the notion of evidentiality (or "being in view"), whereas in Persian and English the conceptualization is reversed, based on forward motion. Stability and certainty, the defining features of these non-temporal uses of the past tense, can therefore be regarded as cognitive consequences of this evidential perspective.

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

Abstract
The present study was conducted to elucidate the teachings of Sūrat al-Zuḥā concerning inner growth, psychological reconstruction, and personal development. Adopting a qualitative approach, the research employed qualitative content analysis based on the model of Graneheim and Lundman (2004), along with thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke (2006). The data were collected from classical and contemporary Qur’anic exegetical sources, studies in positive psychology, and interdisciplinary research on religion and mental health. Data analysis was conducted through the segmentation of meaning units,code extraction, categorization, and the generation of conceptual themes.
The findings indicate that Sūrat al-Zuḥā presents a coherent process through which human beings move from feelings of abandonment and crisis toward hope, meaning, and identity reconstruction. The opening verses, through the dual imagery of Zḍuḥā (morning brightness) and layl (night), depict a psychological transformation from darkness to light, while the third verse emphasizes existential security through the experience of divine support. Moreover, the middle verses, by recalling divine care, guidance, and empowerment, provide the groundwork for self-redefinition and the strengthening of self-belief. The three concluding commands of the sūrah further demonstrate that spiritual growth culminates in ethical action, social compassion, and active gratitude.

Abstract This article examines the concepts of power, justice, and obedience in selected Sunni and Imami Shiʿi Qur’anic commentaries through a digital-qualitative approach. It asks how these three concepts are constructed in the exegetical traditions of the two schools and how they shape the political discourse of the Qur’an. The study analyzes relevant verses concerning authority, command, sovereignty, justice, equity, trust, obedience, and ulū al-amr in nine major commentaries: al-Ṭabarī, al-Zamakhsharī, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, al-Qurṭubī, Ibn Kathīr, al-Ṭūsī, al-Ṭabrisī, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī, and Tafsīr-i Nemūneh. The method combines close reading, qualitative coding, thematic analysis, and comparative discourse analysis. The findings show that power is generally understood not as mere domination, but as trust, judgment, guidance, and responsibility. Justice functions as an internal criterion of legitimacy and a means of limiting authority. Obedience, likewise, is not absolute; it is tied to truth, divine command, justice, and legitimate authority. The main difference between the two exegetical traditions appears in their interpretation of ulū al-amr. The article argues that a digital-qualitative approach can provide a transparent and comparable model for analyzing the political discourse of the Qur’an.