Izutsu’s Semantics of the Quran

Understanding the language of any text is one of the ways in which the text is appreciated and interpreted, and as one of the well-known linguists, Izutsu propounds the intricacies of this method. He attempts the application of various methods of linguistics and semiotic analysis to Qurʾānic studies, but his semantic approach has not been studied and has mostly been neglected. This article adopts an analytical approach with the aim of examining Izutsu’s semantics along with the strengths of this method and the potential influences it may have in the methodology of Qurʾānic studies. However, we note that lack of specific criteria and standards in the selection of keywords, identifying the etymology of words, arriving at the semantics of meaning and understanding their applications are the weak points of his approach.