Four Corresponding Ethical Virtues in the Quran and the Torah: An Etymological and Semantic Analysis

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Quran and Hadith Research Center, Qom, Iran

10.22034/ethics.2024.51550.1702

Abstract

The sacred texts of Abrahamic religions share numerous common concepts, particularly in the realm of ethics. This article focuses on four ethical virtues in the Quran and the Torah that exhibit not only etymological connections but also significant semantic parallels in their application. These four root-based virtues are: Birr (ברר/ḇrr) "Goodness," Zakah/Zaki (זכה/zkh) "Purity," Sidq (צדק/ṣdq "Truthfulness," and Tuhur (טהר/ṭhr) "Cleanliness."Following the introduction and problem statement, the article is structured into four main sections, each dedicated to one of these virtues. Using a consistent framework, the study first examines the historical and comparative etymology of each term, tracing their evolution from their earliest sensory meanings to their later semantic developments. Subsequently, the shared semantic applications of these terms in the Torah and the Quran are analyzed chronologically. Finally, the article provides a semantic analysis of their interconnections. The conclusion summarizes the discussions, outlines the progression of the study, and highlights potential areas for future research.


 

 

Keywords

Main Subjects

Journal of Moral Studies
Volume 7, Issue 2 - Serial Number 23
September 2025
Pages 77-96

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics