Quran and Hadith Studies

Quran and Hadith Studies

An Analysis of the Semantic Network of Rajāʾ (Hope) in Light of Substitutive and Oppositional Terms in the Qurʾan

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
zahra Ahmadi 1
Mohammad Akbari 2
Rahim Dehghan 3
1 MA Graduate in Qur’anic Sciences, Faculty of Qur’anic Studies, University of Qur’anic Sciences and Teachings, Qom, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Qur’anic Sciences, Faculty of Qur’anic Studies, University of Qur’anic Sciences and Teachings, Qom, Iran
3 Associate Professor, Department of Islamic Studies, Faculty of Theology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
10.22067/jquran.2025.93494.1837
Abstract
Semantic analysis of Qurʾanic vocabulary and the clarification of semantic relations among words within a network of meanings constitute an important approach to understanding revelatory knowledge. One of the terms requiring such analysis is rajāʾ (hope). The central question of this study concerns the semantic domain attributed to rajāʾ in the Qurʾan. The research hypothesis holds that, according to the Qurʾan, the core of the semantic network of rajāʾ is divine mercy and forgiveness. The study adopts a descriptive method in data collection and employs paradigmatic (substitutional) relations as a key analytical tool in semantic network analysis. The findings indicate that rajāʾ and its derivatives in the Qurʾan and in exegetical sources carry at least four meanings: hope or expectation, delay, fear, and direction or domain. Based on their relationship to rajāʾ, substitute terms are classified into three categories: direct substitutes, oppositional substitutes, and implicative (contextual) substitutes. Direct substitutes include amal, intiẓār, umniyya, ṭamaʿ, tawaqquʿ, taraqqub, laʿalla, and ʿasā; oppositional substitutes include qunūṭ, yaʾs, khawf, and khāba; and implicative substitutes include mercy, forgiveness, glad tidings, and related concepts. Considering the frequency of these substitutes in the Qurʾan, the semantic network reveals that the conceptual core of rajāʾ centers on divine attributes, particularly forgiveness. This demonstrates that genuine and authentic hope, from the Qurʾanic perspective, is hope directed toward God and His forgiveness.
Keywords
Semantics
rajāʾ (hope)
amal
expectation
mercy
substitution
Subjects
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Quran and Hadith Studies
Volume 57, Issue 2 - Serial Number 115
Autumn & Winter 2025-2026
February 2026
Pages 67-95

  • Receive Date 12 May 2025
  • Revise Date 25 September 2025
  • Accept Date 02 November 2025