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Right and left in the Korean (Qur'an)
1Department of Physiology, Medical Faculty, Atatük University, Erzurum, Turkey. unertan@superonline.com
Perceptual and Motor Skills
|August 13, 1998
Summary
The Quran mentions "right" and "left" in relation to honor and goodness, not handedness. Ancient interpretations associate the right side with positive attributes and the left with negative ones.
Area of Science:
- Linguistics
- Religious Studies
- Cultural Anthropology
Background:
- The Quranic text contains references to 'right' and 'left'.
- Ancient societies often held symbolic meanings for directional terms.
- Understanding these terms provides insight into cultural values.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze the usage and connotation of 'right' and 'left' in the Quran.
- To determine if Quranic usage aligns with or deviates from ancient thought regarding these terms.
Main Methods:
- Content analysis of Quranic chapters and sentences mentioning 'right' and 'left'.
- Comparative analysis with prevailing ancient cultural interpretations of directional terms.
Main Results:
- 'Right' and 'left' appear in 11 Quranic chapters.
- 'Right' is mentioned in 23 sentences, and 'left' in 11 sentences.
- The terms primarily denote sides of honor/goodness (right) versus badness (left), with limited reference to handedness (writing, throwing).
Conclusions:
- Quranic usage of 'right' and 'left' reflects established ancient symbolic associations.
- The Quran does not present an exception to the ancient worldview concerning these directional terms.