Quran and Hadith Studies

Quran and Hadith Studies

Qurʾanic Strategies for Enhancing the Social Face of Needy Believers: A Pragmatic Analysis Based on Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory

Document Type : Research Article

Author
Sayed Jafar Sadeghi
Assistant Professor, Department of Theology Education, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
10.22067/jquran.2026.94842.1872
Abstract
This study offers a qualitative discourse analysis of the Qurʾan from an interpretive–pragmatic perspective, focusing on linguistic strategies that enhance the social face of needy believers. The central issue is how this group is represented in Qurʾanic language and how such representation contributes to the reconstruction of their collective identity within the socio-historical context of early Islam, where poverty could lead to social marginalization. The research method is based on an analysis of relevant Qurʾanic verses within the theoretical framework of Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, with data examined under the two categories of positive and negative politeness. The findings indicate that praising virtues such as chastity and honesty through positive politeness strategies contributes to elevating the social face of needy believers, while recommending secret charity and forbidding reproach, as forms of negative politeness, play a significant role in preserving their independence and dignity. Overall, the results demonstrate that these strategies, by balancing collective belonging and individual autonomy, lead to a redefinition of the social status of needy believers within Qurʾanic discourse. Consequently, the linguistic capacities of the Qurʾan provide a practical model for contemporary social policymaking in reducing inequality, reforming media representations of the poor, and designing support mechanisms grounded in the preservation of human dignity.
Keywords
The Holy Qurʾan
pragmatics
linguistic strategies
needy believers
social face
Subjects
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Quran and Hadith Studies
Volume 57, Issue 2 - Serial Number 115
Autumn & Winter 2025-2026
February 2026
Pages 155-179

  • Receive Date 09 August 2025
  • Revise Date 27 November 2025
  • Accept Date 21 January 2026