Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

The Representation of Emotion in Searle’s Expressive Acts in the Holy Qur’ān Based on Plutchik’s Theory (A Case Study of Juzʾ 26–28)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Mehdi Abbasi 1
Hengameh Vaezi 2
Farahnaz Yousefi 3
1 Ph.D. Department of English Language, ZAH.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran
2 Assistant professor,Department of English Language and linguistics, RA.C., Islamic Azad University, Rasht, Iran
3 Assistant professor.Department of English Language, ZAH.C., Islamic Azad University, Zahedan, Iran
10.22034/sshq.2025.521357.1544
Abstract

Extended Abstract
Research Objective:
The present study aims to investigate and analyze the expressive acts in the verses of Juzʾ 26–28 of the Holy Qurʾān. This study focuses on the relationship between these acts and human emotions, drawing on John Searle’s speech act theory and Robert Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. The main objective is to identify and analyze the representation of emotions such as lamentation, remorse, praise, shame, disgust, and friendship in the verses under study. Using a descriptive–analytical method, this research examines various expressive speech acts such as reproach, drawing attention, praise, imprecation, and lamentation, and analyzes their relationship with human emotions. The study seeks to identify linguistic–emotional patterns in the Qurʾān, explain the application of speech acts through Plutchik’s theory, and examine the relationship between the intensity and type of emotions and speech acts in order to provide a deeper understanding of religious and ethical concepts for the audience. This research attempts to show how the Qurʾān employs linguistic and emotional devices to guide, reform, and awaken its audience, and how these acts and emotions function in line with the educational and ethical objectives of the Qurʾān.
Research Methodology:
This research employs a descriptive–analytical method and, using both qualitative and quantitative approaches, investigates the expressive acts and emotions present in the verses of Juzʾ 26–28 of the Holy Qurʾān. The research data were collected and analyzed through the examination of selected verses, based on the theoretical framework of John Searle’s speech act theory and Plutchik’s wheel of emotions. In this regard, the verses were systematically examined, and the expressive speech acts and their associated emotions were identified and classified. This method made it possible to conduct a precise and multidimensional analysis of the relationship between language, emotion, and the educational objectives of the Qurʾān.
Findings:
The findings indicate that in the verses of Juzʾ 26–28 of the Holy Qurʾān, the expressive act of reproach, with a frequency of 62 instances, has the highest occurrence and is accompanied by negative emotions such as shame, disgust, and warning. This act is used to reproach improper behaviors and awaken the audience. The act of drawing attention, with a frequency of 21 instances, is associated with the emotions of warning and curiosity and is used to encourage the audience to reflect on divine truths. The act of praise, with a frequency of 14 instances, is associated with the emotions of friendship and joy and is used to strengthen faith and encourage emulation. The acts of imprecation and lamentation, each with a frequency of 6 instances, are respectively accompanied by the emotions of disgust and remorse and are used for the rejection of sin and moral admonition. The analyses reveal a mutual correlation between speech acts and emotions which, with varying intensities, demonstrates the structural cohesion of the verses in line with educational and ethical objectives. These findings indicate that the Qurʾān purposefully employs expressive acts and emotions to influence the audience.
Conclusion:
This study shows that the verses of Juzʾ 26–28 of the Holy Qurʾān purposefully employ expressive acts (reproach, drawing attention, praise, imprecation, and lamentation) and associated emotions (shame, disgust, warning, remorse, and friendship) to guide, reform, and awaken the audience. The act of reproach, linked to the emotions of shame and disgust, has the highest frequency and is used to condemn improper behaviors and promote self‑awareness. Drawing attention, together with the emotion of warning, encourages reflection on divine truths, while praise, associated with the emotion of friendship, strengthens faith and emulation. Imprecation and lamentation, accompanied respectively by disgust and remorse, function to establish doctrinal boundaries and promote moral reflection. The mutual correlation between acts and emotions, together with the diversity of emotional intensity, reveals the structural cohesion and educational function of the Qurʾān. The combination of positive emotions such as joy and hope with negative emotions creates a balanced emotional continuum that leads the audience toward self‑awareness, repentance, and the performance of good deeds. This integrated analysis of Searle’s and Plutchik’s theories demonstrates the linguistic and emotional depth of the Qurʾān in establishing divine communication with humanity and highlights the Qurʾān’s capacity to exert emotional and ethical influence on its audience.

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Keywords
Holy Qurʾān
Expressive act
Searle
Emotion Theory
Plutchik
Subjects
 
Austin, J. L. (1962). How to Do Things with Words. Clarendon Press. 
Lewis, M. (2011). the Emotional Power of Words. Routledge. 
Plutchik, R. (1980). Emotion: A Psychoevolutionary Synthesis. Harper & Row. 
Searle, J. R. (1969). Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge University Press. 
Searle, J. R. (1976). A Classification of Illocutionary Acts. Language in Society, 5(1), 1-23. 
Yule, G. (1996). Pragmatics. Oxford University Press.
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Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran
Volume 10, Issue 18 - Serial Number 18
Volume 10, Issue 1 - Serial Number 1۸,Spring&Summer 2026
May 2026 Article ID:280-305

  • Receive Date 05 May 2025
  • Revise Date 10 August 2025
  • Accept Date 10 August 2025
  • Publish Date 21 April 2026