Da'wah Messages on the Discourse of Polygamy in the Religious Film Laut Tengah: Roland Barthes' Semiotic Analysis

Abstract

Religious films can function as da'wah media by constructing Islamic values through narrative, dialogue, character action, and visual signs. This study examines da'wah messages within the discourse of polygamy in the religious film Laut Tengah. It employs a qualitative descriptive approach and Roland Barthes' semiotic analysis. Five scenes related to polygamy were selected purposively at 19:31, 38:22, 57:37, 1:01:32, and 1:04:00. Verbal and non-verbal signs were interpreted through denotation, connotation, and myth, and the findings were classified into aqidah, sharia, and morals. The results show that aqidah is represented by prayer and reliance on Allah; sharia is represented by the provisions of polygamous marriage, especially justice and responsibility; and morals, as the dominant category, include treating wives properly, respecting and caring for others, and protecting each wife's rights and feelings. The film does not merely legitimize or reject polygamy. Instead, it constructs polygamy as a complex family relationship involving communication, spirituality, women's agency, justice, and moral accountability. Religious symbols in the film should therefore be read critically and not automatically treated as a normative justification for polygamy.