Extraordinary Time in Quranic Narrative (A Semiotic Reading of the Story of the Queen of Sheba)

Abstract

The Quran addresses time in a scientific manner that aligns with human logic, particularly in matters related to worship and legislative rulings aimed at regulating individual and collective behavior. While the Quran predominantly discusses time in this manner, it also alludes to another type of time, namely extraordinary or miraculous time, which transcends human comprehension and consciousness of time. This type of time can be considered a form of miraculous or extraordinary time, defying all logical and natural rules, which led the researcher to study this type of time, specifically in the story of the Queen of Sheba, through applying a semiotic approach and interpretative reading. This study unveils the details of miraculous and extraordinary time, challenging the conventional human consciousness of time, resulting in the emergence of a new concept added to the known categories of time: (Objective Time, Physical Time, Psychological Time, Biological Time), namely Extraordinary Time, which falls within the realm of miraculous narrative time. The Quran presents time by linking it with supernatural characters or through creating a horizontal dialogue where the identities of the speakers differ in type and rank. This is evident in Quranic dialogues such as that between the ant and its kind, or between the hoopoe and the Prophet Solomon, where the communicative space is breached by speakers differing in type and hierarchy, as there is no unified communicative space between the ant and Prophet Solomon, or between the hoopoe and the Prophet himself. Based on this, the study clearly illustrates the Quranic narrative's method of portraying this time by linking it with supernatural characters or through dialogue and conflict between them, resulting in the final image of extraordinary time after subjecting the story's verses to interpretative reading mechanisms.