Konstruksi Semantik Kata Shifā’ dalam Al-Qur’an: Pendekatan Semantik Linguistik Toshihiko Izutsu
Abstract
This study aims to deconstruct and reconstruct the conceptual structure and semantic field of the word shifā’ (الشِّفَاء) in the Qur'an by operationalizing Toshihiko Izutsu’s linguistic semantic theory. Generally, shifā’ is narrowly understood as physical "medicine" or "healing". However, within the Qur'anic corpus, the term transcends somatic-organic boundaries toward a holistic restoration of human existence. Employing a qualitative-descriptive approach and library research, this study applies Izutsu’s four methodological pillars: distinguishing between basic and relational meanings, mapping the semantic field via syntagmatic and paradigmatic analyses, tracking historical shifts diachronically and synchronically, and reconstructing the Qur'anic weltanschauung (worldview). The findings reveal that the basic meaning of shifā’ is rooted in the concept of al-dawā’ (remedy/cure), the satisfaction of needs, and critical threshold conditions. Upon integration into the Qur'anic revelation, a fundamental semantic shift occurs, endowing shifā’ with a new relational meaning. Syntagmatically, shifā’ is closely associated with key terms such as hudā (guidance), raḥmah (mercy), and maw‘iẓah (admonition), while paradigmatically, it stands in binary opposition to cognitive and spiritual pathologies such as maraḍ (disease), shakk (doubt), and ḍalālah (error). Diachronically, the term undergoes a process of conceptual elevation across three historical phases: (1) the pre-Qur'anic era, which focused on emotional relief, war-stress mitigation, and tribal retributive justice; (2) the Qur'anic era, which integrated prophetic medical treatments with transcendental spiritual restoration through revelation; and (3) the post-Qur'anic era, wherein exegetes expanded shifā’ into cognitive-epistemological (cleansing theological doubts), spiritual-ascetic (tazkiyat al-nafs), and sociological-existential (idkhāl al-surūr) dimensions. This study concludes that the Qur'an transforms shifā’ from a profane somatic healing instrument into a comprehensive framework for spiritual restoration
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