Volume 9, Issue 1 (3-2026)                   JSAL 2026, 9(1): 119-142 | Back to browse issues page

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Kabiri M, Seyyed Ahmadi S G. (2026). A Semiotic Analysis of the Epistemic Formation Process in Verses 74–104 of Surah Al-An’am Based on Charles Sanders Peirce’s Theory [In Persian]. JSAL. 9(1), 119-142.
URL: http://jsal.ierf.ir/article-1-256-en.html
1- Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, National Defense University, Tehran, Iran , M.kabiri14@gmail.com
2- Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Islamic Azad University, Tehran West Branch, Tehran, Iran
Abstract:   (474 Views)

This study aims to analyze the process of epistemic formation in Surah Al-An’am (verses 74–104) based on Charles Sanders Peirce’s triadic semiotic system. The central research problem lies in explaining how the Qur’an, through an interconnected network of signs, guides human beings from erroneous perception and the polytheistic system of signification toward monotheistic knowledge. Within this framework, the selected verses are examined as a dynamic semantic system in which natural elements, cosmic events, and the epistemic experiences of Prophet Abraham (PBUH) function as signs referring to the ultimate object—the truth of monotheism (tawḥīd). The research methodology is descriptive-analytical, and the data are analyzed using Peirce’s triadic model consisting of the representamen, object, and interpretant. The findings indicate that the analyzed verses delineate a gradual process of epistemic formation. In the first stage, misleading signs—such as idols or induced fears—are presented as representamina lacking any real connection to their object, thereby causing a disruption in the system of signification. In the second stage, Abraham’s cosmic experience involving the star, the moon, and the sun demonstrates that although natural phenomena can function as signs, their transience prevents them from being regarded as the ultimate object; hence, these experiences lead to the refinement of the interpretant and the transcendence of unstable signifiers. In the third stage, by referencing natural signs, cosmic order, and biological processes, the Qur’an presents a system of authentic signs that gradually guides human beings toward the cognition of the Creator. Ultimately, the concept of baṣīrah (insight) is introduced as the ultimate human capacity for the correct interpretation of signs and the attainment of certainty. The study concludes that Surah Al-An’am provides a semiotic structure for epistemic guidance, wherein the transition from perceptual error to monotheistic certainty is shaped through the process of sign interpretation (semiosis). Consequently, by organizing a network of natural, cosmic, and historical signs, the Qur’an establishes an epistemological framework in which human beings attain monotheistic knowledge by refining their interpretation of the world.
 

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Type of Study: Research | Subject: Discourse Analysis
Received: 2025/11/3 | Accepted: 2026/01/10 | Published: 2027/01/30

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