A Semantic Perspective on the Word “al-Bāṭil” in the Qur’an Based on Izutsu’s Semantic Theory

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Payam Noor University, Tehran, Iran.

2 PhD in Arabic Language and Literature, Lecturer at Farhangian University, Kermanshah, Iran.

3 PhD in Arabic Language and Literature, Lecturer at Farhangian University, Gorgan , Iran .

Abstract

Thinkers have used various methods to understand the meanings of Quranic words. Some focus on the lexical meaning of words in the Arabic language before Islam, while others focus on their meanings in the early days of Islam and after the revelation of the Quran. One of the new methods is semantics, which analyzes the key words of the language. This research examines the semantic use of the word "falsehood" in the Holy Quran from the perspective of Izutsu theory. The main goal of this research is to analyze the conceptual and lexical aspects of the word "falsehood" in the Holy Quran and to explain its different semantic dimensions in the various contexts of interpretations of this holy book. Izutsu theory, with its emphasis on the structural analysis of words and their relationship with philosophical and theological concepts, is a suitable tool for breaking through the deep semantic layers of this word. Therefore, in this research, an attempt has been made to present a comprehensive meaning that is close to the intention of the speaker of the word, namely God Almighty, by utilizing the verses of the Holy Quran and Quranic interpretations, and by using the words companion, substitute, and synonym in the Quran. The method of the work is documentary, according to the Izutsu semantic theory and using the discovery of meaning, so that this definition can be applied to all instances of falsehood and is consistent with the context of the verses of the Holy Quran, hadiths, the opinions of the commentators, and also the lexical meanings of this concept.

Keywords

References

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Contemporary Quranic Studies
Volume 4, Issue 12
September 2025
Pages 123-150

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