Qur'anic Imperatives and the Ethics of Politeness, A Multimodal Perspective in Cross Cultural Pragmatics

_1776568956 20260419065236000 Rovedar Daryoushbabazadeh@gmail.com Rovedar Journal of Contemporary Language Research J. Contemp. Lang. Res. 2980-8065 04 05 2026 5 1 Qur'anic Imperatives and the Ethics of Politeness, A Multimodal Perspective in Cross Cultural Pragmatics Amerah Alsharif https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2429-232X Introduction: Politeness theory has traditionally examined conversational strategies for protecting face and managing social relationships. However, politeness goes beyond strategic language choices and includes ethical communication across different modes. This study explores Qur'anic imperatives that guide interpersonal behavior, suggesting they provide valuable material for advancing pragmatics and the philosophy of language by integrating linguistic, paralinguistic, and embodied aspects of polite conduct within an ethical framework. Methodology: Out of approximately 1,848 imperative forms in the Qur'an, a purposive sample of 55 verses was chosen from 20 chapters based on their relevance to interaction and polite behavior. The study uses an analytical approach informed by three major traditions in politeness research: face management, relational work, and multimodal rapport management. It extends these by emphasizing an ethical perspective on communication. The analysis investigates how these imperatives encode politeness through verbal, tonal, and embodied communicative resources. Results: The findings identify five domains of Qur'anic politeness: relational work, discursive framing, identity construction, voice control, and gaze management. The results show that politeness in the Qur'an is not negotiated situationally but codified as prescriptive discourse rooted in fairness, humility, restraint, and respect. Politeness functions as a linguistic strategy, a relational practice, and an ethical discipline that unifies word, tone, and bodily comportment. Conclusion: This study reframes politeness as strategic, relational, multimodal, and ethical, positioning the Qur'anic model as a comparative paradigm for cross-cultural pragmatics. The findings expand politeness theory beyond Western conversational models and offer insights into how ethical imperatives shape communicative behavior across diverse cultural and religious traditions. 03 30 2026 1 16 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 10.58803/jclr.v5i1.144 https://jclr.rovedar.com/index.php/JCLR/article/view/144 https://jclr.rovedar.com/index.php/JCLR/article/download/144/158 https://jclr.rovedar.com/index.php/JCLR/article/download/144/158 and exegesis. Routledge. Al-Hindawi, F. H., & Alkhazaali, M. A. (2016). Politeness in English and Arabic: A comparative study. International Journal of Linguistics, 8(2), 189–203. Austin, J. L. (1962). How to do things with words. Oxford University Press. Azima, M. A. (1984). Dirāsāt li-uslūb al-Qurʾān al-karīm. Dar al-Hadith. 10.1191/1478088706qp063oa 10.1017/CBO9780511813085 10.1177/1461445605054407 10.1017/CBO9780511975752 Eelen, G. (2001). A critique of politeness theories. St. Jerome Publishing. Goffman, E. (1967). Interaction ritual: Essays on face-to-face behavior. Anchor Books. 10.1515/jplr.2010.002 Heru, A. M. (2003). Gender and the gaze: A cultural and psychological review. International Journal of Psychotherapy, 8(2), 109–116. 10.1007/s10508-023-02806-0 Hymes, D. (1974). Foundations in sociolinguistics: An ethnographic approach. University of Pennsylvania Press. 10.1017/9781107280465 10.1017/CBO9781139382717 Kendon, A. (1990). Conducting interaction: Patterns of behavior in focused encounters. Cambridge University Press. 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195341386.001.0001 10.1515/jplr.2005.1.1.9 Miles, M. B., Huberman, A. M., & Saldaña, J. (2014). Qualitative data analysis: A methods sourcebook (3rd ed.). SAGE. 10.1017/CBO9780511615238 10.1002/9781405198431.wbeal0976.pub2 10.1017/CBO9781139173438 Spencer-Oatey, H. (2008). Culturally speaking: Culture, communication and politeness theory (2nd ed.). Continuum. Tracy, S. J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. Wiley-Blackwell. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119390838 10.1017/CBO9780511615184 10.1515/9783110199819 10.1080/13569080310001612752 Hymes, D. (1974). Foundations in sociolinguistics: An ethnographic approach. University of Pennsylvania Press.