A Metaphorical Conceptualization of Inner Peace in the Holy Quran

The pursuit of inner peace is a universal aspiration. Islamic scholars assert that Islam provides a pathway to this universal quest. While the contemporary media-driven Islamophobia often portrays Islam as a religion associated with violence and war. In this study, metaphors toward (inner) peace in the Holy Quran are investigated under the Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Metaphor Identification Procedure in order to investigate how the Holy Quran conceptualizes inner peace. The results indicated an array of interconnected metaphors. Inner peace was a spiritual gift/force, residing within the realm of human body/heart, with individual bearing the responsibility to seek and discover it in this realm. Upon its discovery, inner peace becomes settled and stabilized within the heart, serving as a pathway to triumph. Subsequently, some metaphorical terms aimed to reach the ultimate triumph of inner peace. They were: MARRIAGE, FAMILY, HOMES, SLEEPING AT NIGHTS, as well as PRAYERS. Such network of metaphorical words toward the concept of inner peace appeared to indicate as if God intended to show that the spiritual gift/force of inner peace can be found through the human actions and/or in the physical world. This understanding could also contribute to the betterment of intercultural understanding and peace.

کلیدواژه ها:

Inner peace ، Spiritual Realm ، Physical realm: Conceptual Metaphor Theory ، Metaphor Identification Procedure ، The Holy Quran ، Islamophobia