Stratificational Semiotics in An-Nāziʻāt Sura: A Barthesian Reading

Stratificational semiotics delves into the hidden layers of a literary text in terms of analyzing intertextual relationships and syntagmatic relationships between semantic layers and codes. Roland Barthes identifies five main semiotic codes: Hermeneutic, Proairetic, Semantic, Symbolic, and Cultural which provide a comprehensive analysis of a literary text and its meaning. This research, adopting a descriptive-analytical methodology, examines the stratificational semiotics of An-Nāziʻāt Sura in order to decode its implicit meanings in accordance with the requirements of the 21th century context (apocalypse) as well as the ever-increasing technological advances. The study finds that the hermeneutic code addresses the meaning of the Sural with regard to the Doomsday and the resurrection of the dead; the Proairetic code addresses God’s provisions to humankind, the actions of sinners, and the conflict between Moses and Pharaoh; the semantic code addresses technological advances as well as the power of humankind in the apocalypse; the symbolic code addresses a bipolar world; and the cultural code advises humankind to avoid arrogance based on the story of Moses and Pharaoh. Such layers of meaning based on semiotic codes portray a historical era when humankind has achieved such a high level of power and creation that it assumes itself to be the Omnipotent. In this context, An-Nāziʻāt Sura invites mankind to ponder over the essence of its existence and avoid arrogance in order to appreciate the purpose of creation and avoid an unfortunate destiny.