Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

A Study of the Metaphorical System of Hasad (Envy) in Ethical Hadiths and Its Synergistic Interaction with the Holy Qur’an

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 1. Assistant Professor of department of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan
2 Master's student in Theology - Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, University of Guilan
Abstract
        In recent years, fundamental shifts in cognitive linguistics—particularly in conceptual metaphor theory—have redefined metaphor from a mere rhetorical device to a cognitive mechanism for conceptualizing abstract and moral notions. This novel approach enables a fresh rereading of complex concepts like ḥasad (envy), which carries intricate semantic and functional dimensions in religious texts.
        Focusing on the metaphorical system of ḥasad in Islamic narrations (riwāyāt) and its interplay with Quranic verses, this study examines how this moral vice is represented through conceptual mappings between concrete and abstract domains. Employing a descriptive-analytical method within the framework of Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT), it extracts and analyzes narrative metaphors of ḥasad, such as "fire," "an unruly force," "a corrupting substance," and "a hidden disease." These metaphors, structured via source-target mappings, facilitate a cognitive reconstruction of ḥasad, elucidating its layered semantics.
        By analyzing pivotal Quranic verses (e.g., Q4:54, Q12:8, Q2:90, Q42:14), the study clarifies the conceptual synergy between the Quran and this metaphorical network. Findings reveal that ḥasad is depicted in both narrations and the Quran as a destructive, covert, and anti-faith force through a multilayered metaphorical system. This representation fosters linguistic and conceptual cohesion between the Quran and Ḥadīth, deepening ethical comprehension while institutionalizing the rejection of Envy (ḥasad) in the audience’s cognition.
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Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 10 September 2025

  • Receive Date 28 May 2025
  • Revise Date 07 August 2025
  • Accept Date 08 August 2025
  • Publish Date 10 September 2025