نوع مقاله : علمی- پژوهشی

نویسندگان

• علی اکبر مرادیان قبادی ¹
• روح الله مهدیان طرقبه ²

¹ دانشیار گروه زبان و ادبیات عربی، دانشکده ادبیات، دانشگاه لرستان، لرستان، ایران

² استادیار گروه زبان و ادبیات عربی، دانشکده ادبیات، دانشگاه لرستان،لرستان، ایران

چکیده

کلیدواژه‌ها

• امام مهدی (عج)
• ارزش‌های اسلامی
• دعای توفیق الطاعة
• نورمن فرکلاف
• تحلیل گفتمان انتقادی

موضوعات

• زبان شناسی
• علوم قرآن و حدیث

Critical Discourse Analysis of Islamic Societal Values in the Supplication Du‘ā’ al-Tawfīq li’l-Ṭā‘ah

Aliakbar Moradian Ghobadi^{1, *}, Rouhollah Mahdiam Torghobah²

^1,2 Department of Humanities, University of Lorestan, Khorram Abad, Iran.

moradian.a@lu.ac.ir, mahdian.r@lu.ac.ir

ABSTRACT. This study investigates the discourse of Islamic values embedded in the supplication Du‘ā’ al-Tawfīq li’l-Ṭā‘ah, employing Norman Fairclough’s framework of critical discourse analysis. As a religious text, the supplication is replete with ethical and social values that significantly contribute to the construction of both the ideal individual and society. By applying Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, this research seeks to uncover the mechanisms through which symbolic power is articulated and how such discourse contributes to the conceptualization of an ideal society within Islamic thought. The analysis is structured around three levels: the textual level, focusing on the linguistic and semantic features of the text; the interpretive level, addressing the ways in which these values are shaped by and reflect broader socio-cultural contexts; and the critical-interpretive level, examining the ideological function of the discourse in forming both individual and collective identities. Findings indicate that the supplication reinforces values such as obedience, justice, equity, and humility, presenting a normative vision of a balanced society grounded in the reciprocity of rights and responsibilities. Furthermore, the analysis reveals the interplay between language and power in shaping idealized conceptions of virtue and ethical conduct.

KEYWORDS: Imam al-Mahdi (A.J.), Islamic values, Du ‘ā’ al-Tawfīq li’l-Ṭā‘ah, Norman Fairclough, Critical Discourse Analysis.

1    INTRODUCTION

Religious discourse plays a significant role in shaping both individual and collective consciousness, as it functions as a foundational element in constructing moral value systems and guiding human behavior. The Supplication for the Success of Obedience (Du‘ā al-Tawfīq al-Ṭā‘ah) is one of the religious texts that carries a profound ethical and social dimension, containing valuable educational and intellectual content. This supplication presents an idealized vision of a society founded on obedience, justice, and humility.

In this context, the present study aims to examine this supplication through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), using Norman Fairclough’s approach, in order to clarify the mechanisms by which Islamic societal values are formed within the text. As a multidimensional method, CDA enables a better understanding of the relationship between language and power, and how religious texts are used to shape ideal social conceptions.

This research seeks to answer the following central question: How does the discourse of the Supplication for the Success of Obedience contribute to the construction of an ideal society from a religious perspective? And what ideological dimensions can be uncovered in the text through Fairclough’s methodology?

To address these questions, the study will focus on three key levels of discourse analysis:

Textual level – examining the linguistic and semantic structure of the supplication;

Interpretative level – analyzing the relationship between the text and its social context;

Critical-interpretative level – uncovering the ideological dimensions of the discourse and its influence on the formation of individual and collective identity.

In other words, the central issue of this research is to explore how this supplication provides a suitable framework for critical discourse analysis and how it manifests in society as a dominant and applicable worldview or an ideal model. More precisely, this study investigates how the religious discourse in this supplication contributes to the conceptualization of an ideal society and what linguistic and discursive mechanisms are employed to construct moral values.

Furthermore, the research analyzes how social and spiritual values are embodied in this supplication and explores its ideological role in guiding both individual and collective behavior. The aim is to uncover the relationships between the words and linguistic expressions used in the supplication and to examine how they influence the formation of religious and ethical identity.

This study adopts a descriptive-analytical method based on Norman Fairclough’s critical discourse approach, which focuses on analyzing linguistic texts and exploring their semantic and expressive structures within various contexts.

2   Findings        

This study, aiming to conduct a critical discourse analysis of the supplication “Tawfīq al-Ṭā‘ah” based on Norman Fairclough’s three-dimensional model, sought to uncover the linguistic, discursive, and ideological layers of this religious text.

At the descriptive level, the linguistic structure of the supplication employs various rhetorical, grammatical, and lexical elements that all serve the transmission of ethical and religious discourse. The repetition of imperative verbs, the use of plural pronouns, balanced and rhymed structures, as well as the use of metaphors and rhetorical figures, are among the features that enhance the linguistic cohesion and semantic power of the prayer.

At the interpretive level, this supplication is produced and consumed within a specific religious and social context. It functions not merely as a means of individual communication with God, but also as a discursive tool guiding the audience toward Islamic values. By drawing on the religious discourse embedded in the Qur’an and Sunnah, the supplication helps create a “shared understanding” between the speaker and the audience, thus anchoring its meaning within a network of religious discourses.

At the explanatory level, it became evident that the supplication “Tawfīq al-Ṭā‘ah” represents concepts such as obedience, justice, chastity, and asceticism—not only as means for individual moral reform, but also as mechanisms for shaping the collective identity of Muslims and reinforcing the ethical and social order of the Islamic community. The social structure reflected in the supplication is built upon the distribution of religious roles among different social groups and functions to legitimize religious authority in social relations. Ultimately, this supplication acts as a means of reproducing religious ideology and consolidating an Islamic discourse rooted in balance, responsibility, and collective duty.

3  conclusion

In sum, the findings of this study demonstrate that the supplication “Tawfīq al-Ṭā‘ah” is not merely a devotional text, but rather a conscious, active, and purposeful discourse that employs language to shape the moral and value-based perceptions of the Islamic community. This supplication reflects not only individual needs but also collective and structural aspirations, and it portrays a vision of an Islamic utopia or ideal city.

Therefore, analyzing such texts within the framework of critical discourse analysis can contribute to a deeper understanding of the role of religious language in shaping worldviews, identities, and power relations in Islamic societies.

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