Interaction of Qur’anic Metaphors and Modern Cognition: A Conceptual Metaphor Theory Approach
Keywords:
Qur’anic Metaphor, Conceptual Metaphor Theory, Cognitive Linguistics, Religious Discourse, Semantic AnalysisAbstract
This article aims to analyze the interaction between Qur’anic metaphors and modern cognition through the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) approach. The study is based on the assumption that metaphors in the Qur’an function not merely as rhetorical devices, but also reflect underlying cognitive structures that shape human understanding of abstract reality. The research employs a qualitative-descriptive method with a conceptual analysis approach, involving the identification, classification, and mapping of conceptual metaphors in Qur’anic verses into source domains and target domains as formulated in CMT. The discussion focuses on how Qur’anic metaphors—such as light, path, heart, and scale—resonate with universal cognitive mechanisms that are also recognized in contemporary cognitive linguistic studies. The findings indicate that Qur’anic metaphors exhibit strong conceptual correspondence with human cognitive patterns, while simultaneously enriching and extending modern conceptual metaphor frameworks through transcendental and ethical dimensions. In conclusion, the CMT approach enables a deeper understanding of Qur’anic metaphors as cognitive-religious constructs that remain relevant across time, and it opens an epistemological dialogue between Qur’anic studies and contemporary cognitive linguistics.
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