The Semantics of "Despair" (Ya’s) in the Qur’an With Emphasis on the Application of Semantic Component Analysis along the Axis of Substitution

Semantic analysis of Qur’anic vocabulary, which approaches the text through a modern, systematic methodology, can greatly facilitate the comprehension of Qur’anic verses. Among the words that appear in various contexts in the Qur’an and carry diverse meanings is the term "Despair" and its derivatives. Accordingly, the present study, employing a semantic approach grounded in structuralism, seeks to analyze and explicate the semantic field of despair along the axis of substitution scientifically and systematically. It addresses the key question: ‘What is the denotation of the word despair and its usages in the Qur’an when examined through semantic analysis based on the axis of substitution?’The findings indicate the presence of substitutes such as khawwān (treachery), khattār (grave danger), āthim (sinful), ṣabr (patience), jazaʿ (impatience), qanūṭ (despair), fadhū duʿāʾ ʿarīḍ (one of prolonged supplication), lā yarjūn (those who do not hope), and al-ẓānnīn bi llāh ẓann al-sūʾ (those who harbor evil thoughts about God) as substitutes for despair in the Qur’an. The frequency of these terms in the Qur’anic text is, respectively: two, one, two, one hundred and three, two, one, one, nine, and one occurrences. Based on these substitutes, semantic components such as ingratitude, betrayal, inner sinfulness and covenant-breaking, lack of patience, misguidance, attachment to worldly life, rebellion and arrogance, heedlessness, negligence, and evil suspicion of God are evident for the term despair. The shared semantic component among all these instances is "Lack of concern (negligence), heedlessness, and indifference". In Qur’anic usage, this concept manifests as: "Awareness of people’s heedlessness and lack of concern toward divine invitation" in relation to the prophets; "Awareness of the negligence of the Aziz of Egypt" in the story of Yūsuf’s brothers; "Indifference toward menstruation and lack of expectation of its occurrence" when referring to postmenopausal women; and "Awareness and certainty of God’s guidance of all humankind" for believers, appearing in a negative (negated) context.

کلیدواژه ها:

Qur’an ، Despair ، Semantics ، Axis of Substitution ، semantic components