Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

The Qur'anic Origin of the Metaphor of "Raḥmat" in the Supplications of Ṣaḥīfah Sajjadiyyah from a Cognitive Semantics Perspective

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
fateme zarei 1
Aliasghar shahbazi 2
alireza shaikhi 3
1 mam Khomeini International University Blvd
2 Arabic language and literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanity Sciences, Imam Khomeini International University
3 Imam Khomeini International University Blvd
10.22034/sshq.2024.443027.1434
Abstract
Cognitive linguistics is a relatively new approach in the field of linguistics, focusing not only on the theoretical aspects of language but also on its interaction with other phenomena such as the mind, rationality, environment, and social experiences. One of the central topics in cognitive semantics is the concept of "Conceptual metaphor." In this approach, metaphor is not merely a rhetorical device but rather a tool of thought—a phenomenon in which one conceptual domain is expressed through another. Religious and supplicatory texts are rich sources of cognitive metaphors, as they often deal with abstract and non-experiential concepts, which are structured using metaphorical systems. This study, using a descriptive-analytical method, seeks to explore the metaphor of the Arabic term "Raḥmat" in Ṣaḥīfah Sajjadiyyah and its Qur'anic origins, noting that many Qur'anic expressions are reflected throughout the supplications of this text. The research reveals that the abstract concept of the term "Raḥmat" in the epistemological system of Ṣaḥīfah Sajjadiyyah is shaped by experiential cognition and conceptual metaphors. This systematization and embodiment in Ṣaḥīfah Sajjadiyyah closely align with the Qur'anic verses. The most prominent method of concretizing the concept of "Raḥmat" in Ṣaḥīfah Sajjadiyyah, similar to the Qur'an, is through existential conceptual metaphors of "substance" and "container." In this collection, "Raḥmat" is conceptualized through domains such as shelter, destination, rain, treasure, taste, and others. It is also occasionally depicted through spatial orientation, where divine mercy is symbolized as being in an elevated position, while divine punishment and affliction are associated with lower positions—emphasizing the precedence of mercy [Raḥmat] over punishment.
Keywords
Conceptual metaphors
Divine mercy
Ṣaḥīfah Sajjadiyyah
Qur'an
Cognitive semantics

Subjects

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Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran
Volume 8, Issue 2 - Serial Number 15
Eighth year, number one, fifteenth in a row, autumn and winter 2024
October 2024
Pages 206-225

  • Receive Date 17 February 2024
  • Revise Date 21 May 2024
  • Accept Date 30 June 2024
  • Publish Date 22 October 2024