Layered Semiotics of Surah Takāthur

Document Type : The scientific research paper

Author

. Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Kashan University, Iran

Abstract

At-Takāthur is one of the Meccan Surahs, which criticizes a part of the culture of the pre-Islamic society in terms of style and content. Like other Meccan Surahs it absorbs the audience to pay attention to Resurrection. A semiotic exploration of the signs of this surah, particularly its layered semiotics, reveals the messages behind its words and signs. In order to explain the first and apparent meaning of the verses, we analyzed the signs of this surah based on interpretive and literary sources. Findings show that in this surah on the horizontal axis, the choice of the words “Alhākum at-Takāthur” is reminiscent of a vain traditional behavior in the pre-Islamic era. This surah also considers visiting the graves with the intention of pride (extravagance) a fanatical approach to tribalism and a kind of irrational sanctification in pre-Islamic culture. On an intentional axis, the beginning words such as “Kallā” (the negative sign of the nexus-oriented) and “Thumma” (the connection of the nexus-oriented), “s” and “sawfa” refer to the condemnation and rejection of such useless behavior. These words also refer to the necessity of attention to a knowledge which will be occurred very soon.

Highlights

CONCLUSION

The semiotics of Surah Takāthur show that in the horizontal axis, the words "Alhī" and "Takāthur" indicate that turning the pre-Islamic Arabs away from the subject of resurrection and dealing with the excess of material and worldly affairs has become a warning and rebuke to them. Also, the sign of "Zurtum al-Maqābir" is due to the semantic concept, i.e. the concept of sanctity hidden in the word pilgrimage, poems to sanctify tribal honors and their interest in counting the dead in the graves of their ancestors.

In the vertical axis, the initiators of Surah Takāthur, shows the same and predetermined pattern and is a means of contemplation and understanding of the hidden layers of the text; the conjunction initiator of "Kallā" in "Nay, you shall soon know" helps the negative conjunction with the previous phrase, and the sign of the initiator of "then" (positive link) in "then you shall soon know" indicates the unity of speech and emphasis and the intensity of the rebuke of sanctification and rivalry by the dead. Bringing the sign of rejection of "Kallā" and the letters of S and Sawfa, as well as the emphasis sign of L in "Latarawunna and Latusʿalunna" from the appropriate layers of these initiators, draws the audience to the fact that these absurd boasts will not last long and you will soon realize the certainty of resurrection.

Also, the vertical axis in the syntactic structure is a sign of the continuation of behavior that occurred before the sunrise of Islam and by the ignorant Arabs based on a one-sided culture, and the end of the verses of the final signs of Surah (Ilm al-Yaqīn) and choosing this interpretation closes the way to any doubt.

In the phonetic denotation of signs, homogeneous words, or the characteristic of balance of lexical and syntactic type, attracts the attention of the audience and insists on proving the matter in his mind

 

Keywords

Article Title [Persian]

نشانه‌شناسی لایه‌ای سوره تکاثر

Author [Persian]

  • عباس اقبالی
. دانشیار زبان و ادبیات عربی، دانشگاه کاشان، ایران.
Abstract [Persian]

سوره تکاثر، از سوره‌های مکی است که به شیوه و سبک محتوایی بسیاری از سور دیگر مکی به نقد یک‌پاره فرهنگ جامعه عصر جاهلی می‌پردازد و مخاطبان را به مسئله معاد توجه می­دهد. واکاوی نشانه­های این سوره، به‌ویژه نشانه‌شناسی لایه­ای آن، گذشته از تبیین معنای نخست و ظاهری آیات، پیام­های نهفته در ورای کلمات و نشانه­هایش را معلوم می‌دارد. ازاین‌رو، از رهگذر توصیف و تحلیل و به استناد منابع تفسیری و مراجع ادبی به واکاوی نشانه­های این سوره برآمده­ایم. این پژوهش نشان می­دهد که در این سوره در محور افقی، گزینش واژه­های «ألهیکم، زرتم» یک رفتار سنتی بیهوده در دوره جاهلی را یادآور می­شود. همچنین زیارت قبور به قصد تفاخر و تکاثر (افزون‌طلبی) را رویکردی متعصبانه در قبیله­گرایی و نوعی تقدیس نابخردانه در فرهنگ جاهلی می­داند. در محور عمودی، آغازگرهایی مانند «کلّا» (نشانه نفی پیوند محور) و «ثم» (ربط پیوند محور) سین و سوف تسویف، بر نکوهش و  طرد آن رفتار بیهوده و لزوم توجه به دانشی است که در آینده­ای نه چندان دور رخ خواهد داد.
 

Keywords [Persian]

  • قرآن
  • آغازگر
  • تقدیس
  • تکاثر
  • زیارت

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Quran and Religious Enlightenment
Volume 1, Issue 2 - Serial Number 2
October 2021
Pages 51-60

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History

  • Receive Date: 27 May 2020
  • Revise Date: 15 July 2020
  • Accept Date: 25 August 2020

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