Constructing Cosmological Meaning in Q.S. Al-Anbiyā’ [21]: 30

Integrating al-Jurjānī’s Contextual Semantics, Lakoff, and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory

Abstract

Studies of Q.S. Al-Anbiyā’ [21]: 30 have largely focused on correspondences between the Qur’anic concepts of ratq (joining or closure) and fatq (opening or separation) and modern cosmological theories, especially the Big Bang, while the linguistic and cognitive processes through which cosmological meaning is constructed remain less examined. This study analyzes the construction of cosmological meaning in Q.S. Al-Anbiyā’ [21]: 30 by integrating al-Jurjānī’s contextual semantics with Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Using qualitative library research, the study employs a two-stage integrative procedure. First, naẓm analysis identifies the syntactic and semantic relations that constrain the ratq–fatq construction. Second, Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory maps only those textually licensed relations into source–target conceptual structures, after which the cognitive interpretation is checked against the Arabic linguistic structure. The findings show that the ratq–fatq relation forms a transformational semantic pattern from unity to differentiation. This pattern is conceptualized through three interconnected metaphors: The cosmos is a unified entity, creation is separation, and divine creation is cosmic transformation. The study proposes a Semantic-Cognitive Integrative Model in which naẓm provides textual constraints for conceptual mapping, while Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory explains how those relations are cognitively represented. Accordingly, the relationship between the verse and Big Bang cosmology is understood as limited conceptual correspondence rather than empirical scientific validation. The model offers a controlled interdisciplinary framework for analyzing Qur’anic cosmological meaning.

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