Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Human Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 M.A. student in Arabic Language and Literature, University of Tehran, Iran

10.22054/rjqk.2026.86380.3133

Abstract

Critical discourse analysis is a modern approach in linguistic studies that examines texts at a level beyond standard language. Van Leeuwen’s socio-semantic theory is among the newer critical approaches that enables the identification of hidden layers of texts and the examination of the social actors within them. Applying this critical approach to the Holy Qur’an, as a comprehensive guide for humanity, can provide readers with new perspectives and teachings. Accordingly, the story of Prophet Adam, as the first experience of human life, was selected due to its diverse characters, various social agents, and the different actions performed by its actors. By analyzing these components, the deep ideas and underlying ideology of the narrative can be revealed. The present study, using a descriptive-analytical method and drawing on Van Leeuwen’s discourse-oriented structures model, seeks to examine this model in the story of Prophet Adam. The findings indicate that the model is highly effective in analyzing the story. In this regard, the component of inclusion appeared 354 times, compared with the component of elusion, which was represented 104 times. This suggests that divine emphasis and focus are placed on characters and attributes that individuals acquire through their actions; enabling audiences of Qur’anic culture to better chart their path toward eternal well-being in this world and the hereafter.

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