دانشگاه اصفهان فنون ادبی 20088027 18 3 2026 09 23 Lexical Congruence in Qur'anic Context: Evidences of Lexical Miraculousness and Qur'anic Stylistics بررسی تناسب لفظی در سیاق واژگانی قرآن؛ شواهدی از اعجاز واژگانی و سبک‌شناسی قرآنی 1 18 30159 10.22108/liar.2025.145696.2475 FA فضل الله رضایی اردانی دانشیار گروه آموزش زبان و ادبیات فارسی، دانشگاه فرهنگیان، تهران، ایران 0000-0001-7457-5526 علیرضا فاضلی دکتری مدرسی معارف قرآن و حدیث، دانشگاه معارف اسلامی، قم، ایران Journal Article 2025 06 22 This study provides a systematic account of lexical fit in Qur’anic discourse, examining how word choice aligns with contextual flow (siyāq) and communicative situation (maqām). Using a descriptive–analytical, interdisciplinary approach, the study investigates semantic, morphological, syntactic, and phonological dimensions of Qur’anic vocabulary to explain why specific forms are selected over near-synonyms and alternative structures. The results show that Qur’anic diction is governed by a coherent pattern: lexical meaning, grammatical form, particles, and stylistic variation operate together to match the intended meaning and the psychological state of the addressee. Findings also indicate that features such as emphasis, softness vs. intensity, permanence vs. renewal (nominal vs. verbal choices), and rhetorical effects (fronting, ellipsis, shifts in address/iltifāt) are not incidental but context-motivated. The study argues that this rule-governed congruence between lexical selection and context constitutes a central dimension of Qur’anic lexical inimitability and contributes to its distinctive stylistic architecture and multilayered meaning production. Keywords: Lexical Congruence, Contextual Meaning, Rhetorical Miraculousness, Qur’anic Stylistics. Introduction The Qur’an’s linguistic distinctiveness is frequently discussed in terms of eloquence; however, a core and analyzable component of its rhetorical force lies in the precise congruence between lexical choice and contextual requirements. The present research addresses the following central problem: How does the Qur’an systematically harmonize “wording” (lafẓ) with context (siyāq) and communicative situation (maqām), and what rhetorical functions does this harmony generate? The scope of the study is lexical-contextual fitness at multiple linguistic levels (lexical semantics, morphology, syntax, and sound/stylistics). Its aims are (a) to identify recurring patterns governing context-appropriate lexical selection, (b) to describe how such patterns contribute to meaning-making and persuasive impact, and (c) to demonstrate how these patterns function as evidence for lexical inimitability and Qur’anic stylistics. The significance of the topic lies in moving beyond impressionistic claims toward a structured explanation of why a given expression is optimal in its specific placement. Prior scholarship in rhetoric, exegesis, and inimitability studies has treated notions such as “appropriateness to the situation”, fronting and postponement, ellipsis, and iltifāt; yet a consolidated, multi-level account that links these devices directly to lexical selection remains needed. Accordingly, the study formulates the following three research questions: What selection principles govern Qur’anic lexical fit across differing contexts? How do form-based choices (nominal/verbal patterns, particles, word order) implement these principles? What interpretive and rhetorical consequences follow from this contextual congruence? Materials and Methods This research employs a descriptive-analytical method with an interdisciplinary lens combining classical rhetoric and contemporary linguistic description. The materials consist of representative Qur’anic passages selected for their clear sensitivity to context-driven variation (e.g., near-synonym choice, shifts between nominal and verbal structures, particle selection, and stylistic transitions). Each example is analyzed within its immediate co-text and broader thematic frame to avoid isolating forms from discourse function. The analytical framework operates on four layers: (1) lexical-semantic analysis (fine-grained distinctions among near-synonyms and evaluative nuance), (2) morphological/formal analysis (patterns signaling permanence vs. renewal, intensity, and derivational meaning), (3) syntactic-functional analysis (word order, fronting, ellipsis, role assignment, and their effects such as restriction and emphasis), and (4) phonological/stylistic analysis (sound patterning where relevant and discourse-level devices such as iltifāt and stylistic alternation). The procedure follows a consistent sequence: identify the contextual demand (maqām), test plausible alternatives (near-synonyms or structural substitutes), and justify the selected form by explaining what meaning or rhetorical force would be weakened or altered under substitution. The main limitation is that the study prioritizes explanatory depth over statistical generalization; it seeks recurring interpretive principles rather than frequency-based claims. Research Findings The findings of the study show that Qur’anic lexical fit can be organized into recurrent, interlocking patterns. First, dictionary-level meaning is regularly calibrated to the discourse situation: among near-synonyms, the Qur’an selects the item whose nuance best matches the intended threat, mercy, praise, blame, or psychological stance of the audience. Second, lexical “qualities” (perceived softness/harshness, familiarity/strangeness, intensification) correlate with the surrounding rhetorical mode: promise and consolation tend to co-occur with smoother forms, while warning and reprimand favor more forceful diction. Third, the Qur’an exploits nominal vs. verbal structures: nominal forms tend to signal stability and permanence, whereas verbal forms—especially imperfective patterns—often encode renewal, continuation, and dynamic unfolding. Fourth, particles and prepositions are selected with high contextual sensitivity, where a change of particle would shift the intended relational meaning (e.g., supervision, attachment, elevation, causality). Fifth, syntactic role and deviation (fronting/postponement, ellipsis, and apparently “extra” elements) function as meaning-operators that produce restriction, emphasis, or interpretive focus, rather than mere ornamentation. Sixth, stylistic variation—especially iltifāt (shifts in person/voice)—serves discourse management: it can move the reader from narration to direct confrontation, sharpen moral evaluation, or differentiate audience groups within a single passage. Collectively, these patterns support the claim that Qur’anic lexical choices are systematically context-motivated and rhetorically consequential. Discussion of Results and Conclusion The results directly answer the study’s core problem: the harmony between lafẓ and siyāq/maqām is achieved through a multi-level selection system in which semantics, form, syntax, particles, and style mutually reinforce one another. This implies that many Qur’anic phenomena sometimes treated as optional (e.g., fronting, ellipsis, or particle variation) are better understood as context-driven constraints: replacing the chosen form with a near-synonym or a more “neutral” structure typically reduces precision, shifts emphasis, or weakens the intended affect. Consequently, lexical inimitability here is not framed as aesthetic superiority alone but as rule-governed optimality—the systematic matching of linguistic resources to contextual demands to produce layered meaning efficiently. The findings also suggest an interpretive payoff: context-sensitive lexical analysis can clarify why parallel themes across the Qur’an may employ different wording, and how stylistic shifts guide reader engagement and moral positioning. Limitations remain: the study is qualitative and example-driven, and future work could expand the dataset, test the proposed categories across broader corpora, and integrate computational tools to map patterns of contextual variation. Overall, the study concludes that lexical fit constitutes a central pillar of Qur’anic stylistics and provides structured evidence for lexical inimitability through demonstrable, context-motivated choice architecture. پژوهش حاضر با هدف تبیین علمی و نظام‌مند یکی از مؤلفه‌های برجستۀ اعجاز بلاغی قرآن کریم، یعنی مطابقت دقیق واژگان با سیاق کلامی و مقام معنایی انجام گرفته است. مسئلۀ اصلی تحقیق، تبیین چگونگی هماهنگی و تعامل میان لفظ و سیاق در ساختار زبانی قرآن است؛ پدیده‌ای که به‌مثابۀ جلوه‌ای از نظام بلاغی خاص قرآن، نقش بنیادینی در انتقال پیام‌های چندلایه و ژرف آن ایفا می‌کند. این مطالعه با اتکا بر روش توصیفی‌-تحلیلی و با رویکردی بینارشته‌ای، ابعاد معناشناختی، ساختاری، نحوی و صوتی واژگان قرآنی در پیوند با مقتضای حال و مقام کلامی را واکاوی می‌کند. اهداف اصلی این پژوهش شامل: ۱. کشف الگوی حاکم بر انتخاب واژگان متناسب با سیاق‌های مختلف در قرآن، ۲. تحلیل کارکردهای بلاغی این تناسب در تولید معنا و اثرگذاری، و ۳. ارائۀ شواهدی مستند از جلوه‌های اعجاز واژگانی قرآن در ساختارهای نحوی، صرفی و سبکی است. براساس یافته‌ها قرآن کریم با بهره‌گیری از شیوه‌های پیچیدۀ بلاغی نظیر تقدیم و تأخیر، التفات، تنوع سبک، انتخاب هدفمند افعال، اسماء و حروف معانی، ساختاری منسجم و معنادار پدید می‌آورد که در آن، هر لفظ به‌گونه‌ای انتخاب شده که حداکثر هماهنگی را با موقعیت معنایی و روانی مخاطب داشته باشد. این تطابق نظام‌مند، نه‌تنها بیان‌کنندۀ درک ژرف قرآن از ظرفیت‌های زبانی است که مؤیّدی قوی بر اعجاز زبانی و بلاغی آن تلقی می‌شود.

https://liar.ui.ac.ir/article_30159_49391cb9cc70ff0ac2980bde1ec878ec.pdf