A Semantic Analysis of the Concepts of “Concealment” in the Holy Qur’an Based on Conceptual Links

Document Type : Scholary

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Mahallat Higher Education Center, Mahallat, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Faculty of Quranic Sciences, University of Quranic Studies and Sciences, Qum, Iran

3 Level Four Graduate in Quranic Exegesis and Quranic Sciences, Qum Seminary, Qum, Iran

Abstract

The present study aims to explain the structure of the conceptual network of “concealment” in the Holy Qur’an and to identify the semantic distinctions among the vocabulary of this domain, while rejecting the notion of total synonymy. Using a descriptive–analytical method grounded in a semantic framework and componential analysis, this study examines the etymology, morphological structures, and contextual usage of eleven selected words. The findings show that the use of concealment-related vocabulary in the Qur’an rests on a precise and systematic order, such that factors including the type of object concealed, the differentiation among acoustic, material, and cognitive domains, the instrument and manner of covering, axiological orientation, and the semantic weight of morphological patterns distinguish the semantic boundaries of these words from one another. Moreover, in the epistemic domain, some of these roots, moving beyond their original lexical meaning, have been redefined as key concepts of the monotheistic worldview. The results of the research indicate that the conceptual network of concealment in the Qur’an possesses a multilayered system that is not absolutely interchangeable; attention to these subtleties frees the researcher from interpretive reductionism and opens new horizons in recognizing the rhetorical inimitability of the Qur’an.

Keywords

References

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The Quran: Contemporary Studies
Volume 5, Issue 16
Fifth year, Number 16, Summer 2026
September 2026
Pages 75-98

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