An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Allameh Tabatabai and Izutsu’s Semantic Analysis of the Term Sedq (Truthfulness)

Today, some efforts are made to study the meanings of the Quranic concepts using modern methods. In this article, an attempt has been made to compare Izutsu’s achievement in studying the meaning of sedq conducted on the basis of ethno-semantics with that of Allameh Tabatabai performed through traditional methods in order to appreciate the effectiveness of their methods in practice. It is worth mentioning that based on his semantic principles which are categorized in the class of nativist schools, Allameh Tabatabai refers to sedq as an idea that is in correspondence with fact, and using the element of correspondence contained in this term, it can be figuratively applied to other meanings such as correspondence between behavior and belief or correspondence between the exterior and the interior, too. Izutsu believes that the term sedq has adopted a new meaning in the Islamic worldview along with the meaning of truthfulness, which is trusteeship and commitment to one’s promise. In the final analysis, it was revealed that although Izutsu and Allameh have been considerably successful in their semantic analysis of the term sedq using various methods, both theories embrace some ambiguous points in regard to the meanings they have presented about sedq, which is indicative of the need for more precise principles or methods in the semantic analysis of the Quranic lexical items.