Signs of Light in the Qur’an: Interpreting Symbolism through Peircean Semiotics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.59525/ijois.v5i2.952Keywords:
Qur’anic Symbolism, Light (Nur), Semiotics, Charles S. PeirceAbstract
This study examines the Qur’anic symbolism of light through the semiotic framework of Charles S. Peirce. In the Qur’an, light (nūr) is frequently employed as a symbol that embodies divine guidance, spiritual enlightenment, and the manifestation of Allah’s presence. Peirce’s semiotic theory, with its triadic model, representamen (the sign), object (the referent), and interpretant (the meaning constructed by the observer), is applied to uncover the layered meanings of light in selected Qur’anic verses. This research analyzes and interprets verses that explicitly mention light in order to reveal both the apparent and hidden dimensions of its symbolism and its role in shaping the Qur’an’s overall message. Focusing particularly on QS. An-Nur: 35 (light as divine guidance), QS. Al-Baqarah: 257 (light as liberation from darkness), and QS. Al-Hadid: 12–13 (light as a reward in the hereafter), the study demonstrates how the Qur’an employs this symbol to communicate theological, spiritual, and ethical values. The findings aim to contribute to Qur’anic studies by enriching the understanding of symbolism in sacred texts and by illustrating the applicability of Peirce’s semiotic theory to the interpretation of religious discourse.
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References
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Rasmussen, D. M. (2012). Symbol and interpretation. Springer Science & Business Media.
Sebeok, T. (2001). Signs: An introduction to semiotics. University of Toronto Press.
Short, T. L. (2022). Charles Peirce and Modern Science. Cambridge University Press.
Syelviana, A. (2024). Intention of the Meaning Qur’an as Nūr: The Implementation of Roland Barthes Semiotics on Qs. Al-Syūrā [42]: 52: Intensi Makna Al-Qur’an Sebagai Nūr: Implementasi Semiotika Roland Barthes Terhadap Qs. Al-Syūrā [42]: 52. Aqwal: Journal of Qur’an and Hadis Studies, 5(2), 159–175.
Syuhada, W. (2024). Al-Qur’an dan Kehebatan Konsep Langit tanpa Tiang. Innovative: Journal Of Social Science Research, 4(5), 9496–9517.
Thellefsen, T., & Sorensen, B. (2014). Charles Sanders Peirce in his own words: 100 years of semiotics, communication and cognition (Vol. 14). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
al of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 9(4), 5957–5964.
Brier, S. (2017). How Peircean semiotic philosophy connects Western science with Eastern emptiness ontology. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 131, 377–386.
Chandler, D. (2022). Semiotics: the basics. Routledge.
Cholidi, M. F. (2024). Kosmologi Dalam Al-Qur’an: Formulasi Konsep Etikasaintis (Analisis The Study Quran). Institut PTIQ Jakarta.
Deledalle, G. (1990). Charles S. Peirce, 1839 1914: An intellectual biography. John Benjamins Publishing.
Gallie, W. B. (2025). Peirce and pragmatism.
Gorlée, D. L. (2022). Semiotics and the problem of translation: With special reference to the semiotics of Charles S. Peirce (Vol. 12). Brill.
Harjono, H., Hanafi, M. M., Hisyam, M., Anwar, R., Hude, D., Sardajaya, S., Muhammad, A. S., Raharto, M., Sahil, H. R., & Djuansyah, M. R. (n.d.). Cahaya Dalam Perspektif Al-Qur’an dan Sains. Lajnah Pentashihan Mushaf Al-Qur’an, Badan Litbang dan Diklat Kementerian ….
Ibrahim Elamin, M., & Ahmed Alhazmi, A. (2021). ‘Light’as a source domain for metaphors in the holy Quran. AWEJ for Translation & Literary Studies, 5.
Khajeh-Saeed, F., Asl, L. B., & Sattarzadeh, D. (2021). The Typology of Contemporary Counter-Monumental Landscape with Peircean Semiotic Approach. Manzar: The Iranian Scientific Journal of Landscape, 13(56).
Mhamed, B., & Makhlouf, A. (2025). Interpreting Meaning Across Worlds: A Comparative Study of Al-Qushayri’s Sufi Hermeneutics and Peirce’s Semiotic Philosophy. Science, Education and Innovations in the Context of Modern Problems, 8(2), 672–685.
Moradi, K. (2023). Conceptualization in ontology based on Peirce’s triadic model of the sign: a qualitative content analysis. Information Discovery and Delivery, 51(1), 56–65.
Murtadho, M. A. C. (2025a). أبعاد الأسلوب اللغوي في السرد القرآني: دراسة أسلوبية لقصص النبي عيسى عليه السلام. An-Nas, 9(1), 17–34.
Murtadho, M. A. C. (2025b). تناوب حروف الجر في القرآن الكريم: أنماطه ودلالاته. Proceedings of International Conference on Islamic Civilization and Humanities, 3, 106–124.
Murtadho, M. A. C., Yahya, A. M., & Nasrullah, I. (2024). Defining Quranic Beauty in Divine Harmony: A Stylistic Analysis of Al-Asmā’Al-Ḥusnā in Surah Al-Baqarah. Journal of Arabic Language Studies and Teaching, 4(2), 17–31.
Nisa, R. K. (2023). Ayat-ayat Kauniyah dan Implikasi Teologisnya dalam Al-Qur’an. UNIVERSITAS PTIQ JAKARTA.
Peirce, C. S. (1992). The essential Peirce, volume 1: Selected philosophical writings (1867–1893) (Vol. 1). Indiana University Press.
Pelkey, J., Ricciardone, S. M., & Petrilli, S. (2023). Bloomsbury Semiotics: Semiotics in the Arts and Social Sciences.
Putra, N. A. (2018). Kisah Aṣḥāb Al-Sabt Dalam Al-Qur’an: Analisis Semiotika Roland Barthes.
Queiroz, J., & Merrell, F. (2006). Semiosis and pragmatism: Toward a dynamic concept of meaning. Sign Systems Studies, 34(1), 37–65.
Rashwani, S. (2024). The Qur’anic Narrative and Its Reception History. Behind the Story: Ethical Readings of Qurʾānic Narratives: ما وراء الحكاية: دراسات أخلاقية في القصة القرآنية, 6, 185.
Rasmussen, D. M. (2012). Symbol and interpretation. Springer Science & Business Media.
Sebeok, T. (2001). Signs: An introduction to semiotics. University of Toronto Press.
Short, T. L. (2022). Charles Peirce and Modern Science. Cambridge University Press.
Syelviana, A. (2024). Intention of the Meaning Qur’an as Nūr: The Implementation of Roland Barthes Semiotics on Qs. Al-Syūrā [42]: 52: Intensi Makna Al-Qur’an Sebagai Nūr: Implementasi Semiotika Roland Barthes Terhadap Qs. Al-Syūrā [42]: 52. Aqwal: Journal of Qur’an and Hadis Studies, 5(2), 159–175.
Syuhada, W. (2024). Al-Qur’an dan Kehebatan Konsep Langit tanpa Tiang. Innovative: Journal Of Social Science Research, 4(5), 9496–9517.
Thellefsen, T., & Sorensen, B. (2014). Charles Sanders Peirce in his own words: 100 years of semiotics, communication and cognition (Vol. 14). Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.
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