مهناز امیری

The narrative of Prophet Moses and Khiḍr constitutes a complex structure amenable to semiotic analysis. By employing a discourse-oriented semiotic-semantic approach to this Qur’anic account, three distinct discursive modalities can be identified. Initially, an actional discourse emerges, driven by Moses’ interaction with the external world. Subsequently, an interactional system develops through Moses’ dialogue with Khiḍr, other subjects, and various phenomena. Within this system, the meaning-making process undergoes a significant transformation. Finally, a cognitive-affective system arises from Moses’ engagement with his inner world and his perceptual relationship with phenomena. The actantial pattern of the story centers on Moses’ agency and his oscillation between internal and external realms. Furthermore, the narrative exhibits inductive and cognitive-interactional discursive systems capable of generating and interpreting plural meanings. The primary aim of this study is to elucidate, through semiotic-semantic discourse analysis, how the narrative discourse of Moses and Khiḍr manifests phenomenologically. It explores how the emergence of internal impulses and tensive states in the protagonist develops aesthetic and affective dimensions, ultimately endowing his actions with meaning, cognition, and value. The findings indicate that the dominant narrative trajectory involves a transition from an actional regime to interactional-cognitive and inner-affective systems, thereby prioritizing the internal and emotional realms. Consequently, the meaning-making process within this narrative not only encompasses actional, interactional, and cognitive-affective modalities but also undergoes elevation and evolution. In this dynamic flow of meaning production, Moses evolves into an active subject, reconstructing and generating the truth of Divine Unity within the interactional and cognitive-affective discursive systems.