University of Isfahan Journal of Researches in Linguistics 2322-3413 15 2 2023 09 23 The motivational language of the Holy Quran: A pragmatic analysis of promises and threats The motivational language of the Holy Quran: A pragmatic analysis of promises and threats 93 100 27852 10.22108/jrl.2023.138555.1784 FA Saeed Abasinya Department of Theology and Islamic Sciences, Abadan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Abadan, Iran Journal Article 2023 08 11 Studies in literary religious discourses, including recent Quranic studies, suggest that speech act theory provides the researchers with variable pragmatic tools to interpret meanings that are constructed upon the intention of the speaker. This study draws upon speech act theory (SAT) to analyse the two ubiquitous speech acts of promise and threat in the Holy Quran. Employing the speech acts of promise and threat in the Quran to the detailed analysis of felicity conditions, this study, while arguing for the compatibility of SAT to the language of Quran, concludes that the main impetus behind the speech acts of promise and threat is creating the motivation in the addressees to conduct good and avoid evil deeds; therefore, the rules and conditions that drive the illocutionary force of promise and threat perfectly align with the motivational language of the Holy Quran. Studies in literary religious discourses, including recent Quranic studies, suggest that speech act theory provides the researchers with variable pragmatic tools to interpret meanings that are constructed upon the intention of the speaker. This study draws upon speech act theory (SAT) to analyse the two ubiquitous speech acts of promise and threat in the Holy Quran. Employing the speech acts of promise and threat in the Quran to the detailed analysis of felicity conditions, this study, while arguing for the compatibility of SAT to the language of Quran, concludes that the main impetus behind the speech acts of promise and threat is creating the motivation in the addressees to conduct good and avoid evil deeds; therefore, the rules and conditions that drive the illocutionary force of promise and threat perfectly align with the motivational language of the Holy Quran. https://jrl.ui.ac.ir/article_27852_457a5ccc7bf7702c1405c6a8d153e78c.pdf