Politeness in the discourse of the Quran: The conversation of Moses(A) and Pharaoh in Surah al-A'raf

An important aspect of the Qur'anic dialogue is observing and not-observing rules of politeness in the intended talks. This research seeks to study the effects of politeness and impoliteness in the talks between Pharaoh and Moses(A), relying on Brown and Levinson (1987) and Culpeper (1996). This research is to answer the question how and in what direction the use of politeness and impoliteness strategies is based on the socio-economic, and participatory power. The results show the more polite speech of Moses and the impolite speech of Pharaoh, the greatest combination of strategies in the verses, the use of the high rate of all the strategies of politeness by Moses(A), and the use of the highest rate of all impoliteness strategies by the Pharaoh. The findings of the research also indicate the importance of the study of politeness and impoliteness as a socio-pragmatic phenomenon that links religion and ethics. This study, with the help of new linguistic theories, introduces a new horizontal perspective to the audience in order to better understand the verses of the Quran and its interpretations.