A Cognitive Analysis of the Representation of Resistance Concepts in Qur’anic Verses and the Poetry of Sepideh Kashani and Fadwa Tuqan

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Department of Theology, Faculty of Law & Theology, Shahid Bahonar university of Kerman, Kerman, Iran

Abstract

This study provided a cognitive analysis of the representation of concepts of resistance across three distinct textual contexts: selected verses from the Holy Qur’an, the poetry of Sepideh Kashani, and the poetry of Fadwa Tuqan. The theoretical framework of the study was grounded in Fauconnier and Turner’s Conceptual Blending Theory, Lakoff and Johnson’s Conceptual Metaphor Theory, and Fillmore’s Frame Semantics. Employing a qualitative methodology and a cognitive-textual analytical approach, the study aimed to explore the formation of shared conceptual networks as well as the cultural and historical differences involved in the representation of key notions of resistance, such as patience, steadfastness, struggle (jihad), and martyrdom. The findings revealed that the Holy Qur’an, through the use of fundamental metaphor and stable conceptual structures, establishes common patterns for understanding resistance. These patterns are reproduced in the poetry of Kashani and Tuqan; however, each poet reconstructs them according to her own cultural and social context. Kashani portrays resistance in connection with Ashura culture and the symbols of the Islamic revolution of Iran, while Tuqan employs land-centered and epic metaphors to represent Palestinian resistance. The results demonstrated that cognitive analysis, in addition to revealing semantic continuity and discontinuity, provides a deeper understanding of intertextual relationships and can play a significant role in both the teaching of resistance literature and semantic studies of the Qur’an.

Keywords

References

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Journal of Resistance Literature
Volume 18, Issue 34
July 2026
Pages 120-142

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