Facial expressions as paralinguistic cues of destiny: a semiotic analysis of faces in the Qurʾānic depiction of the day of judgment

Abstract EN

By relying on meticulous and precise readings of the glorious Qurʾān and al-Suyuti's (2020) Qurʾānic interpretation, this study extracts the noble verses that describe the faces of humans on the day of judgment.

it analyzes the semiotic signs that intricately depict human faces during this crucial event, which will suddenly befall humankind.

the study identifies sixteen locations in the glorious Qurʾān that exhibit signs of faces on that inescapable day.

these locations are equally divided into two categories, with eight indicating blissful faces and the remaining eight indicating tormented faces.

the semiotic units signifying blessed faces display signs of felicity manifested on the faces of true believers.

these signs include whiteness, radiance, clarity, laughter, and delight.

on the other hand, the semiotic units signifying tormented faces reveal signs of fear, anxiety, sorrow, anger, regret, and loss that appear on the faces of disbelievers.

these signs encompass darkness, frowning, distortion, humiliation, engagement in hard labor, and evident fatigue on their faces.