Health Communication in The Quran: Charles Saunders Pierce’s Semiotic Analysis

Abstract

Due to the development of science and technology, health communication is highly essential in society. However, among Muslim scholars, the conception of health communication has not been systematically developed. Thus, this study discusses health communication referring to Koran which focuses on its terms and its developed ideology.

To obtain the data, the writer uses library studies on Koran verses and interpretations as the primary data. The data are then analyzed using a Charles Sanders Pierce’s semiotic approach (1839-1914) based on semantic, syntactic and pragmatic analysis.

The results show that Koran ideology on health communication is based on the importance of humans’ health behavioral changes which is also in accordance with the functions of Koran as guidance, explainer, distinguisher, advisor, blessing, and cure (Koran, 2: 185; 17: 82). Healthy behaviors start with understanding on health comprehensively including physical, mental, and spiritual health conditions. To meet those three health conditions, the spiritual, emotional, and social communication are highly required as well as supported with healthy (environmental) facilities. This Koran’s communication conception may strengthens the recently existing health communication theory, that is, innovation diffusion theory which emphasizes on human internal elements in making health communication and convergence theory focusing on the importance of external (environmental) factors in supporting health communication implementation processes on humans and society.