EPISTEMOLOGI WAKTU MALAM DAN DERIVASI LAFAZH AL-LAIL DALAM AL- QUR'AN: ANALISIS SEMANTIK, TAFSIR, DAN PESAN ILAHI

Abstract

Time occupies a sacred position within Islamic theology; however, the phenomenon of "night" (al-lail) is frequently reduced to a mere astronomical alternation. This study is motivated by an academic gap regarding the integration of linguistic analysis of lail derivations with their epistemological implications, as well as the urgency to address the spiritual crisis of modern humanity entrenched in light pollution and contemporary culture. This research aims to reconstruct the Qur'anic philosophy of night as a solution to this spiritual disorientation. This study employs a qualitative library research method. Data analysis utilizes Toshihiko Izutsu’s semantic approach to dissect basic and relational meaning structures, synthesized with tahlili (analytical) and maudhu'i (thematic) exegetical methods.

The results reveal three key findings. First, linguistically, the morphological variations of lail (such as laylan, laylah, and bayyata) exhibit high semantic precision, distinguishing between physical duration, sacred momentum, and concealed activity. Second, epistemologically, the Qur'an deconstructs the day-night binary opposition; night is positioned as the domain of intuitive epistemology (irfani) and the ontological condition (sakan) for the unveiling of Divine secrets (kasyf), which remains inaccessible to diurnal rationality. Third, the reintegration of night’s functions as libas (a veil of privacy) and nashi'ah (character formation) correlates positively with emotional stability and resilience, offering both a critique of and a therapy for a modern civilization that is exploitative of time.