Dr Seyed Salman Safavi
London Academy of Iranian Studies – LAIS
Introduction
To interpret and analyse Surah al-Nisāʾ through the lens of semiotics and Umberto Eco’s (1933–2016) semantic structuralism, key concepts from Eco’s work must be utilised: the function of the sign, encoding and decoding, narrative strategies, intertextuality, isotopy, and symbolic meaning.
Surah al-Nisāʾ, which addresses a broad array of subjects such as justice, social laws, women’s rights, family, inheritance, and governance, can be viewed semiotically as a structured system of signs. It interweaves complex moral and legal themes and spiritual messages, bringing them into interaction and interconnection, and constructs a coherent intellectual system.
Keywords: semiotics, semiotic analysis, Umberto Eco, Surah al-Nisāʾ, Qurʾan
1. The Function of the Sign and Semiotic Codes
The function of the sign refers to the relationship between the signifier (the form of the sign) and the signified (the concept or meaning). In Surah al-Nisāʾ, the signifiers are the specific words and phrases in the text, while the signifieds are the ethical, legal, and spiritual concepts these words express.
Literal vs. Symbolic Meaning:
The verses of Surah al-Nisāʾ have both literal meanings (addressing specific legal and social issues) and symbolic or metaphorical dimensions, which can be interpreted as guidance for broader human relations and divine justice. For example, laws regarding inheritance and treatment of women act as signs pointing to deeper moral principles about equality, justice, and social responsibility. Legal rulings must be grounded in the overarching principle of justice.
Cultural Code
In Surah al-Nisāʾ, the cultural code refers to the embedded Islamic legal and ethical principles. In Eco’s terms, cultural codes are the systems of cultural conventions that help readers decode meaning. Understanding the cultural and religious significance of these laws is essential to deciphering the messages of divine justice, compassion, and social responsibility conveyed in the text.
2. Narrative Strategies
Surah al-Nisāʾ can be considered as a type of narrative strategy to guide readers through complex topics.
Sequential Reasoning:
The surah’s structure is a network of arguments and moral directives moving from one topic to another in a purposeful, rather than random, manner, building a coherent ethical framework for believers. Eco describes this as a form of strategic narrative, where the text guides readers step-by-step, enabling them to reveal its meaning.
Divine Command:
The Qurʾan, as a text of direct divine address, uses second-person language wherein God speaks directly to humanity. This narrative mode can be seen as a deliberate authorial strategy (by God) to emphasise the authority of the message and its immediate relevance to the audience. The directness of this discourse enhances the performative function of the verses: they are not only descriptive but also prescriptive, intended to elicit specific behaviours.
3. Isotopy and Semantic Structure
Isotopy refers to the repetition of a consistent meaning or semantic field throughout a text, creating cohesion. In Surah al-Nisāʾ, the dominant isotopy revolves around justice and human rights, especially the rights of women, orphans, and the oppressed.
Themes of Justice and Responsibility:
Many verses centre on justice in human relations — e.g., fair treatment in marriage (4:19), inheritance rights (4:11–12), and defending the weak (4:75). The repetition of this theme throughout the surah generates semantic coherence, framing all rulings within the broader concept of divine justice and the moral responsibility of believers.
Repetition of Key Concepts:
Words such as justice, trust, and rights recur throughout the surah, reinforcing its isotopic structure. This repetition, which Eco identifies as a key textual strategy, ensures that readers grasp the dominant semantic domain of the narrative.
4. Symbolism and Metaphor
Although many verses in Surah al-Nisāʾ are jurisprudential in nature, symbolic and metaphorical elements are also present, which a semiotic approach helps to clarify.
The Family as a Metaphor for Society:
The detailed laws on marriage, divorce, and inheritance can be seen as symbolic of a larger social order. Just as families must be governed with justice and fairness, so too must society at large. In the Qurʾan, the family often functions as a microcosm of the broader social and moral order, making this symbolic dimension central to a semiotic reading.
Light and Darkness:
Throughout the Qurʾan, light and darkness are used metaphorically to represent knowledge and ignorance, or guidance and misguidance. In Surah al-Nisāʾ, moral injunctions can be seen as guiding individuals from the darkness of oppression into the light of divine law, serving as a broad metaphor for ethical and spiritual enlightenment.
5. Encoding and Decoding
Eco’s concepts of encoding and decoding apply to how readers interpret the message of Surah al-Nisāʾ.
Encoding:
The surah encodes a range of messages — individual and social rights, ethical and spiritual directives — within its verses. As a revealed text, the Qurʾan encodes divine will in human language, and these signs are deeply embedded within the broader religious, ethical, and social framework of Islam as a unified whole and a comprehensive ethical, spiritual, and social system.
Decoding:
Decoding depends on the reader’s knowledge of Islamic tradition and the cultural codes embedded in the text. For example, without familiarity with Islamic inheritance law, fully decoding certain verses (e.g., 4:11–12) may be difficult. However, once decoded, these verses reveal themselves as part of a larger divine code emphasising justice and fairness.
6. Intertextuality
Intertextuality suggests that no text exists in isolation but is in continual dialogue with other texts. In the case of Surah al-Nisāʾ, this intertextuality can be seen in its connections with other parts of the Qurʾan and the broader Islamic tradition.
Links to Other Surahs:
Themes in Surah al-Nisāʾ, such as justice, social welfare, and gender relations, also appear in other surahs, like al-Baqarah and al-Māʾidah. This intertextual relationship strengthens the coherence of the Qurʾanic message and facilitates a more precise comprehension of these concepts across the text.
Prophetic Traditions:
The verses of Surah al-Nisāʾ also engage in dialogue with hadith literature and the broader Islamic legal and ethical tradition. For instance, the Qurʾanic inheritance laws are elaborated upon in hadith and form the foundation of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh).
7. The Theory of Sign Production
Eco’s theory of sign production can be applied to the generation of meaning in Surah al-Nisāʾ. The Qurʾanic verses were produced within a specific historical, cultural, and theological context and their meaning is shaped by the Islamic worldview.
Divine vs. Human Sign Production:
In Eco’s theory, signs may be produced intentionally or as a result of cultural conventions. In the case of Surah al-Nisāʾ, the signs are divinely produced — encoded with divine intent to express absolute truths — as divine speech revealed to the heart of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family). Human readers must then decode these signs and understand them within their cultural and spiritual context.
Conclusion
A semiotic analysis of Surah al-Nisāʾ using Eco’s approach reveals the complex layers of meaning encoded in the text. The surah, with its dominant isotopy of justice and rights, functions as a structured system of signs, employing narrative strategies, symbolism, and intertextuality to convey its divine message.
The encoding of moral and legal principles within Islamic law and theology creates a semiotic code that requires readers to be familiar with Islam in order to fully understand it. Thus, Eco’s semiotic approach helps us see the Qurʾan not just as a religious text, but as a precise and purposeful semantic system that guides readers in both legal and spiritual domains.
References
A) English
- Eco, Umberto (1984). Semiotics and the Philosophy of Language. Indiana University Press.
- Safavi, Seyed G. (2005). The Structure of Rumi’s Mathnawi. London: London Academy of Iranian Studies Press.
B) Persian
- Rumi, Jalal al-Din (1999). Mathnawi-yi Maʿnawi, edited by Tawfiq Subhani. Tehran: Rozaneh.
- Safavi, Seyed Salman (2024). A Semantic Structural Interpretation of Surah al-Nisāʾ. Tehran: Salman Azadeh.
- Safavi, Seyed Salman (2025). Semantic-Structural Hermeneutic Methodology. Tehran: Salman Azadeh.