LINGUISTIC ACCOMMODATION IN THE HOLY QURAN: AN ANALYSIS OF PRAGMATIC STRATEGIES USED FOR A DIVERSE AUDIENCE IN THE QURANIC LANGUAGE

Abstract

This study highlights the significance of understanding how religious texts like the Holy Quran communicate effectively with diverse audiences through pragmatic language choices. The research aims to examine how the Holy Quran employs linguistic accommodation to address various social and religious groups, specifically believers, disbelievers, and the People of the Book using pragmatic strategies to adapt language according to the audience. The problem addressed in this study is the lack of in-depth linguistic analysis of how the Quran modulates its discourse for different audiences, thus filling a theoretical and analytical gap in Quranic pragmatics. To achieve this, a qualitative method was adopted, using purposive sampling to select verses from the Quran that demonstrate audience-specific discourse. The analysis is grounded in frameworks such as Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, Speech Act Theory, Relevance Theory, and the concept of implicature. Each verse was analyzed for linguistic accommodation through speech acts, politeness strategies, presuppositions, and implicates. The study was evaluated through a discourse-pragmatic lens, focusing on the effectiveness of communicative intent and audience orientation within Quranic verses. The findings reveal that the Quran strategically modifies tone, vocabulary, and rhetorical style to align with audience identity and context, thereby enhancing its persuasive and moral messaging. In conclusion, the study affirms that linguistic accommodation is a key element in the Quran’s communicative success with a heterogeneous audience.