Application of Roland Barthes’ Semiotics in the Meaning of Taqwa (A Case Study of Qur’an, Surah al-Hajj, Verse 37)

Abstract

The topic of Hajj, as one of the most influential obligations in elevating individual and collective spirituality, has always attracted the attention of Muslims. The ritual of sacrifice (qurbānī), as one of the manifestations of worship in the pilgrimage, is a significant and constructive factor in nurturing the soul and fostering self-restraint against sins. God Almighty explicitly addresses this matter in Qur’an 22:37 (Surah al-Hajj), stating that neither the blood nor the flesh of the sacrificial animals reaches Him; rather, it is your taqwa (piety, God-consciousness) that reaches God (Qur’an, 22:37). Considering that the verses of the Qur’an, alongside their guiding function, can also be evaluated through linguistic and semiotic perspectives, this study reexamines Qur’an 22:37 — regarding taqwa in the context of Hajj — using Roland Barthes’ semiotic theory. The aim of this research is to determine the precise meaning of the word taqwa in this verse and to analyze its signification at two levels: denotative and connotative/mythical. By moving beyond the text through the linguistic context, syntagmatic sequence, and situational background of the verse, the study explores the pragmatic implications of the sign. The findings reveal that there is a logical relationship between the signifier (dāl) “taqwa” and its signified (madlūl), “al-wiqāyah” (self-protection), which leads to the implied meaning — God-consciousness — as the first (denotative) level of signification. At the second, mythical level of signification, the pre-Islamic Jāhiliyyah ideology of smearing the blood of sacrifices on the Ka‘bah sharply contrasts with the Islamic practice; the purpose of sacrifice in Islam is to increase the sacrificer’s taqwa and faith rather than material gain. Thus, the obligatory act of sacrifice in Hajj is inherently contingent upon taqwa; this interdependence demonstrates that the acceptability of a sacrifice depends on it being performed by a person characterized by taqwa.