Thematization in Quranic Texts
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21271/zjhs.29.SpC.46Keywords:
Thematization, Systemic Functional Linguistics, Marked Theme, Quranic Texts, Fronting, PostponementAbstract
This study investigates marked thematization in selected Quranic verses using Systemic Functional Linguistics (SFL). SFL treats language as a resource for making meaning in context. It examines how choices in grammar shape experience, interaction, and text organization. Previous research highlighted cohesion, reference, and general thematic structures in the Quran (Alamiri, 2020; Qasim and Shaber, 2021). However, investigating marked themes in the original Arabic and comparing with unmarked ones remain underexplored. This is important because fronted participants or circumstances create emphasis and guide interpretation. The study examines verses from Al-Fatiha, Al-Baqarah, and Al-Jathiyah, comparing the marked and unmarked ones. It uses a qualitative interpretive approach grounded in SFL’s Theme-Rheme framework. Context, neighboring verses, and classical tafsir inform the analysis. Findings show that marked Themes are deliberate and functionally motivated. They influence emphasis, rhetorical effect, and textual coherence. The study demonstrates how Quranic word order contributes to meaning and guides the reader’s focus. By bridging modern SFL theory with traditional Quranic interpretation, the study offers a systematic method to analyze the Quran’s thematic structures. It provides insights into how grammatical choices serve theological, rhetorical, and communicative functions.
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