Here is the English abstract of Dr. Seyyed Abulqasem Naqibi’s presentation at the 1st pre-con meeting of the conference “Theology of Pilgrimage" which was held by Shahid Motahari University on May 20, 2023, at Tehran, Iran.

The Semiotics of the Semantic System of Pilgrimage Texts

The Holy Quran contains a collection of words and terms (signs) organized around the word "Allah". The word "Allah" is the highest central word around which all keywords of the Quran revolve. Therefore, the semantic system of the Quran is a monotheistic system. The religious texts that have emerged over time alongside the Quran are dependent on their semantic connection with Quranic words and are aligned with Quran about this central word (Allah) and semantic system. As a result, the keywords and signs of these texts which are centered around the word "Allah", create a culture that gives meaning to the lives of Muslims. Therefore, pilgrimage texts (as one type of these religious texts) are in fact theological books, and pilgrimage sites are centers for monotheism and God’s remembrance. The discourse of pilgrimage texts indicates the spiritual communication of the pilgrim with the Almighty God through the Prophet or the Imam. The proximity of the Prophet and the Imam to God justifies this intermediary communication. Signs such as affection (Mawaddah), authority (Wilāyah), intercession (Shafāʿah), friendship (Tawallī), and aversion (Tabarrī), clearly indicate this pattern of communication, which is completely monotheistic and authorized with God.

Translator: Mahdi Qasemi