A Multilayered and Integrated Semiotic Discourse Analysis of Qurʾān 36:13–32

Document Type : Research Article

Author
Seyed Jafar Sadeghi
Assistant Professor, Department of Theological Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
10.30497/qhs.2026.248114.4129
Abstract
This study aims to conduct a semiotic discourse analysis of Qurʾān 36:13–32 in order to uncover its multiple layers of meaning within the Meccan context. These verses narrate the story of a town whose inhabitants rejected the divine messengers, conveying theological, admonitory, and didactic messages. However, the mechanisms through which meaning is generated within this discourse require further investigation. The central research question examines how signs, binary oppositions, and semantic systems construct meaning in these verses and influence their audience. The study employs a semiotic analytical approach grounded in contemporary theories of semiotics to identify the signs and underlying semantic structures embedded in the text. The findings demonstrate that signs such as al-qaryah ("the town") and rajulun min aqṣā al-madīnah ("a man came from the farthest part of the city") generate implicit meanings associated with Mecca. Furthermore, binary oppositions such as faith versus disbelief and monotheism versus polytheism organize the discourse, while semantic systems operating at the explicit, implicit, and ideological levels evoke fear, hope, and moral reflection among both the Quraysh and the believers. Overall, the study concludes that through an intricate network of signs and semantic systems, these verses transform the Meccan call to Islam into a compelling and enduring message.
Keywords
Qurʾān
Sūrat Yā Sīn
semiotics
context
semantic oppositions
semantic systems.
Subjects
The Holy Qurʾān.
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