A Comparative Study of the of Shiite and Sunni viewpoints’ Interpretations on the semantics of human traits in the Quran (case study of Ẓalūm and Jahūl)

Abstract

Semantics deals with the scientific study of meaning, and meaning is awareness of the cultural context as well as the relation of a word to another vocabulary in a text. The present research aims to explain and define the semantic components of the two words "oppression (Ẓalūm)" and "ignorance (Jahūl)" from different views of Shiite and Sunni commentators, based on the syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations, in order to draw a clear picture of the oppression and ignorance of human being. A comparative study of the views of the commentators from the both religious traditions, conducted in a descriptive analytical method, showed that most Sunni scholars believe that the attributes of oppression and ignorance are in the nature and temper of all human beings, and no human being is outside from the circle of oppression and ignorance. On the opposite side, most Shiite scholars believe that oppression and ignorance are not inherent in the human’s attributes, but are particular in those who have deviated from the path of divine guidance and have not been cultivated.

Keywords

• semantics
• syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations
• ẓalūm (oppression)
• jahūl (ignorance)