PRAGMATIC FUNCTIONS OF INTERROGATIVE SENTENCES IN QURʾĀN

Abstract

This article investigates the pragmatic roles of interrogative sentences in the Qurʾān — particularly rhetorical and non-rhetorical questions — through a linguopragmatic lens. Interrogatives in Qurʾānic discourse perform functions beyond information-seeking, including exhortation, rebuke, and cognitive engagement of the addressee. Drawing on speech-act theory and previous Qurʾānic research, this paper examines how interrogatives shape meaning and interaction in the Qurʾānic text, supported by contextual examples.