Quran and Hadith Studies
Semantic analysis of "velayat" in the Holy Quran based on syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations
Document Type : Research Article
Authors
1 Assistant Professor of the Department of Culture and Education, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Culture and Communication, Imam Sadiq (AS) University. Tehran. Iran.
2 Assistant Professor. Imam Hussein University, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
By tracing the meaning of wilāyah (ولایة) in the Quranic verses, we encounter several interconnected concepts. This article employs a structural-semantic approach and a descriptive-analytical method to analyze wilāyah in the Quran, identifying its semantic components through its contextual associations, substitutes, and antonyms. Within the Quranic structure, wilāyah exhibits: A complementary relationship with ittikhādh, nuṣrah, hidāyah, tawakkul and sulṭān; An intensifying relationship with nuṣrah, shafāʿah, mulk, hidāyah, and related concepts; And an antagonistic relationship with ʿadūw. On the axis of substitution, derivatives of walī (ولی) function synonymously with khalīl, rabb, wakīl, naṣīr, and multaḥid. This study identifies four semantic functions of wilāyah in the Quranic discourse: "Comradeship and companionship"; "Leadership and guardianship"; "Protection and advocacy"; "Aid and intercession". An examination of these functions reveals a hierarchical wilāyah relationship between the walī and the people, as well as the social bonds of wilāyah among believers.
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