درخت حوزه‌های تخصصی

SUBJECT & OBJECTIVES: Near-death experiences (NDEs) have garnered significant attention, particularly in recent years. Existing explanations in this field have often failed to provide a comprehensive analysis of these experiences due to their neglect of ontological and anthropological dimensions. This study aims to offer a religious ontological explanation of NDEs by drawing on Quranic verses and narrations related to the nature of the world and human existence.METHOD & FINDING: The study adopts a descriptive-analytical approach, utilizing Islamic religious texts to explore the immaterial dimension of the human soul and its connection to ʿĀlam al-Barzakh (the intermediate realm). According to religious teachings, when the soul's attention to the body diminishes and sensory faculties cease their activity, the soul, aided by the faculty of imagination, perceives phenomena. The faculty of imagination has several characteristics that may influence these perceptions, including the creation of unreal images, the retention of past observations, the potential influence of Satan, and its connection to the intermediate realm. Islamic scriptures describe existence as encompassing multiple realms, from Khazāʾin ʿind Allāh (the divine treasuries) to ʿĀlam al-Dunyā (the material world), with the intermediate realm bearing significant similarities to NDEs. CONCLUSION: From the perspective of religious literature, it appears that when the soul's attention to the material dimension decreases, it may enter the intermediate realm and experience real observations. These observations, however, occur for specific individuals and may, in some cases, be influenced by their imagination, leading to perceptions that are limited to imaginary constructs. This study highlights the importance of integrating ontological and anthropological dimensions into the analysis of near-death experiences, offering a framework rooted in Islamic teachings.

Semantics, a branch of linguistics, utilizes the relational network between the linguistic form and its meaning to achieve a more precise understanding of Quranic vocabulary and propositions. One common method is the conceptual collocation between words.  "Amn" (security) and "Kufr" (disbelief) are central words in the Quran, whose semantic fields include key words such as Islam, affirmation, gratitude, and denial. The present study aims to uncover the meanings of "Amn" and "Kufr" using the concept of collocation. The research method is descriptive-analytical, based on library resources. The objective is to deepen the understanding of the life-giving concepts of the Quran to achieve divine guidance. To achieve this, relevant verses were extracted, and Saussure's theory of collocation in linguistics was employed. Finally, based on the primary meanings of the words and their neighboring words, concepts are presented.  Reflecting on the semantics of Quranic vocabulary and carefully examining the collocation network between them provides a more precise understanding of the verses.  Simultaneously examining "Kufr" and "Amn," and the network of meanings associated with them, reveals the various semantic levels of these words, leading to a better understanding of the verses. Some of the research findings are as follows: The primary meaning of "Amn" is tranquility, and its other meanings in collocation include prepositional collocations (prepositions "Bāʼ" and "Lām"), nominal collocations (the word "Mushrikūn" - polytheists), adjectival collocations ("al-Muʼmin" - the believer, "Wa Huwa Muʼmin" - and he is a believer, "Ṣādiq" - truthful), and verbal collocations ("Shakartum" - you gave thanks, "Kafarū" - they disbelieved, "ʻAmilū al-Ṣāliḥāt" - they did righteous deeds, "Taʼmurūna bil Maʻrūf wa Tanhawna ʻan al-Munkar" - you command good and forbid bad). The primary meaning of "Kufr" is concealment, and its other meanings in collocation include nominal collocations ("al-Fāsiqūn" - the wicked), adjectival collocations ("Yaʼūs" - despair), and verbal collocations ("Lā Yuʼminūn" - they do not believe, "Mā ʻArafū" - they did not know, "Ushkurū" - give thanks, "Aṣliḥ" - correct, "Ashraktumūn" - you associated partners with God, "Kadhdhabū" - they denied)