409284

Analysis of Conceptual Metaphor in the Prophetic Hadith

Article

Last updated: 08 Feb 2025

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اللغة الإنجليزية وآدابها

Abstract

Conceptual metaphors are ubiquitous in religious discourse as they allow complex theological notions to be understood in more concrete terms. This study conducts a qualitative textual analysis to uncover the conceptual metaphors employed in Prophetic Hadiths and determine their role in shaping understanding of Islamic teachings. Authentic Hadith collections including Sahih al-Bukhari, Sahih Muslim, and Sunan Ibn Majah were analyzed. This study is grounded in the cognitive theory of metaphor pioneered by Lakoff and Johnson, which posits metaphor as fundamental to conceptualization. Through critical analysis of Prophetic Hadiths, this study identifies the most frequent and significant metaphoric source domains in order to examine their impact on conceptualizing Islamic principles. The data comprises a corpus of sayings and traditions attributed to Prophet Muhammad, compiled from authoritative Hadith collections.  A random sample of 18 full-text Hadiths was selected for metaphor identification. Preliminary linguistic analysis reveals ontological metaphors as most frequent, followed by orientational and structural metaphors. Specifically, the source domains of journey, light, and darkness are often mapped onto target domains of spiritual guidance, knowledge, and ignorance respectively. These metaphors serve to simplify abstract concepts and make them more comprehensible to audiences. While this study provides initial insights, further research across schools of thought and cultural settings can elucidate variations in metaphor use and meaning. The findings demonstrate that metaphorical mappings fundamentally shape conceptualization of theology and lived religious practice. The study also highlighted the cultural and social contexts in which the Hadith's metaphors are used, providing insights into the values and attitudes of the Islamic community. Finally, the study underscored the timeless relevance of the Holy Hadith in providing guidance and moral direction for believers, and the importance of metaphor in shaping beliefs, values, and actions.

DOI

10.21608/jfhsc.2024.409284

Authors

First Name

Mohammad

Last Name

Mohammad Ismail Mohammad Fouda

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Volume

7

Article Issue

49

Related Issue

51614

Issue Date

2024-06-01

Receive Date

2025-02-01

Publish Date

2024-06-01

Page Start

527

Page End

546

Print ISSN

2536-9458

Online ISSN

2805-3052

Link

https://jfhsc.journals.ekb.eg/article_409284.html

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http://journals.ekb.eg?_action=service&article_code=409284

Order

409,284

Type

المقالة الأصلية

Type Code

940

Publication Type

Journal

Publication Title

مجلة کلية الآداب و العلوم الإنسانية جامعة قناة السويس

Publication Link

https://jfhsc.journals.ekb.eg/

MainTitle

Analysis of Conceptual Metaphor in the Prophetic Hadith

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Type

Article

Created At

01 Feb 2025