Symbolism in Surah At-tur: A Pragma-Socio Analysis Study

Abstract

Human is the main subject of the Holy Quran, while the core of the Quran is to teach and give guidelines to all human beings on the right way. The Holy Quran is a monumental book, renowned for its rich vocabulary and forms, and is considered a treasure trove of language and literature. So, it is impossible to get a real understanding without understanding the real meaning of Allah's words existing in its rich text. Before more than 1400 years ago, the symbolism technique was used in the Holy Qur’an that offered live social lessons. Recently, it has become the main method in modern writings in submitting social images. The present study is based on the hypothesis that to gain a full understanding of the meaning of all verses of the Holy Quran, we should be familiar with the symbolic meaning. The Holy Quran uses many symbolic devices. We should also be familiar with the semantic meaning according to context, and which of these devices is the most frequently used. To achieve the aim of the study and verify its hypotheses, the study adopts two kinds of procedures: Theoretical and practical. The theoretical procedures consist of presenting a theoretical framework of pragmatics, including its definition, etymology, and principles. As well as presenting symbolism, its definitions, types, and the concept of religious symbolism. The practical procedures consist of analyzing five extracts from Surah at–Tur from the Holy Quran, depending on the translation of Ali, A. Yusuf. (2001) The Meaning of the Holy Qur’an. The selected Ayaat have been analyzed in the light of an elected model based on the study adopted Eco's theory of sign (1984) as a model of symbolism, and Searle's theory of speech acts (1969) as a model of pragmatic, discovering the main purpose behind each symbol for (surah At-tur) in terms of pragma social perspective. Both qualitative as well as quantitative research methods are used in this study. The qualitative method is represented by the detailed analysis of every single selected aya. On the other hand, the quantitative analysis is represented by the use of statistical tables and figures to discuss the frequency and percentages of speech acts and Grice maxima in the whole samples of the selected Ayyat. This study seeks to ask the questions below:

• What are the common types of speech acts used?


• What are the general forms of symbolism in Surah At-tur?


• Which of Grice's maxims are used more than the other maxims in this surah?

The results of the analysis demonstrated that both directive and declarative speech acts are used in the selected surah. But the declarative is predominant in Surah at–Tur, as well as the maxim of manner flouted by utilizing symbolism to depict and illustrate the intricate idea. Allegory is the common symbolism device utilized in this surah. Finally, quality as well as quantity maxims are both used in this surah, but the quantity maxim is the dominant one.