This study offers a methodological critique of previous semantic research on the concept of rajāʾ (hope) in the Qurʾān and presents a comprehensive reexamination based on etymological and structural semantic analysis. It identifies key deficiencies in prior studies, including conflated lexical meanings, selective treatment of verses, and procedural errors in applying semantic methods. Through tracing the root across Semitic languages, the research shows that rajāʾ evolved from physical inclination to mental desire and ultimately to hope-tinged expectation in Qurʾānic usage. Analyzing all 28 occurrences of the root, the study uncovers five essential semantic components: faith and certainty in God and the Hereafter, active ethical commitment, optimistic expectation of divine mercy, future orientation toward eschatological encounter, and negation of disbelief, denial, and forgetfulness of God. The findings demonstrate that rajāʾ is not a passive emotional state but a dynamic theological-ethical concept requiring systematic methodological engagement beyond traditional lexicography or atomistic interpretation.