The Construction of the Quranic Worldview through Semantic Analysis of Quranic Key Terms: An Analytical Study of Toshihiko Izutsu’s Semantic Theory

قرآنی اصطلاحات کے معنویاتی تجزیہ کے ذریعے قرآنی ورلڈ ویو کی تشکیل :توشی ہیکو ایزوتسو کے نظریہ علم المعانی کا تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

The concept of Weltanschauung, a German synonym for "worldview," refers to the comprehensive perspective through which individuals or societies perceive existence, encompassing ontology, cosmology, epistemology, and human nature. Every worldview is shaped by fundamental principles that are rooted in elements such as religion, culture, language, history, and ethics. Among these, Toshihiko Izutsu (1914–1993), a renowned Japanese Islamic scholar and semanticist, emphasizes that language plays the most vital role in forming the worldview of a people. According to Izutsu, the vocabulary of a language—especially its key terms—mirrors the philosophical and spiritual orientation of its speakers. This research explores Izutsu’s semantic theory as applied to the Quran and examines how the semantic field of key Quranic terms reflects and constructs a unique Quranic worldview. Izutsu distinguishes between "key terms" and "focus terms" in the Quran, noting that terms such as Allah serve as semantic nuclei that influence the interpretation of other central concepts such as man, the universe, guidance, and truth. Through the study of these terms, one can gain insight into the Quran’s metaphysical and ethical vision. The paper utilizes a descriptive-analytical methodology to study how the semantic transformation of Arabic during the Quranic revelation reveals a profound shift in worldview. The findings affirm that Izutsu’s semantic framework offers a valuable lens for understanding the integrated theological, ethical, and cosmological outlook embedded in the Quranic text.