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Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue
Abstract
This study examines the cognitive and rhetorical functioning of Qur’anic parables through an interdisciplinary “Bridge Framework” established between ʿAbd al-Qāhir al-Jurjānī’s theory of nazm and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory. The study is based on the premise that Qur’anic parables should be regarded not merely as aesthetic and rhetorical expressions, but also as cognitive structures that render abstract theological and ethical meanings intelligible through concrete domains of experience. To this end, five Qur’anic parables selected through purposive sampling are analyzed using qualitative textual analysis. The inquiry focuses on the syntactic and semantic organization of nazm, source-target domain mappings, and the evaluative orientations generated by these mappings. The findings indicate that nazm functions as a structural principle regulating metaphorical transfer and guiding interpretive possibilities. Consequently, the article demonstrates how Qur’anic parables enable the transition from concrete experience to abstract theological and ethical understanding, while offering a methodological contribution to the interpretation of these parables by bringing classical rhetoric into dialogue with contemporary cognitive linguistics.
Keywords
References
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Details
Primary Language
English
Subjects
Arabic Language and Rhetoric, Tafsir
Journal Section
Research Article
Publication Date
September 25, 2026
Submission Date
June 16, 2026
Acceptance Date
August 30, 2026
Published in Issue
Year 2026 Volume: 26 Number: 3
APA
Demireşik, Ö. F., & Alalı, A. (2026). Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi, 26(3), 1959-1986. https://doi.org/10.33415/daad.1972505
AMA
1.Demireşik ÖF, Alalı A. Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi. 2026;26(3):1959-1986. doi:10.33415/daad.1972505
Chicago
Demireşik, Ömer Faruk, and Ahmad Alalı. 2026. “Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue”. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi 26 (3): 1959-86. https://doi.org/10.33415/daad.1972505.
EndNote
Demireşik ÖF, Alalı A (September 1, 2026) Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi 26 3 1959–1986.
IEEE
[1]Ö. F. Demireşik and A. Alalı, “Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue”, Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 1959–1986, Sept. 2026, doi: 10.33415/daad.1972505.
ISNAD
Demireşik, Ömer Faruk - Alalı, Ahmad. “Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue”. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi 26/3 (September 1, 2026): 1959-1986. https://doi.org/10.33415/daad.1972505.
JAMA
1.Demireşik ÖF, Alalı A. Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi. 2026;26:1959–1986.
MLA
Demireşik, Ömer Faruk, and Ahmad Alalı. “Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue”. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi, vol. 26, no. 3, Sept. 2026, pp. 1959-86, doi:10.33415/daad.1972505.
Vancouver
1.Ömer Faruk Demireşik, Ahmad Alalı. Toward a Cognitive Reading of Qur’anic Parables: Nazm Theory and Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Approach in Dialogue. Dinbilimleri Akademik Araştırma Dergisi. 2026 Sep. 1;26(3):1959-86. doi:10.33415/daad.1972505