Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World

Rhetorical and Aesthetic Functions of Gender Variation in the Qur’an: The Interaction of Form, Meaning, and Context

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Seyyed Mehdi Masboogh 1
Nematollah Be-Ragham 2
1 Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Bu-Ali Sina University
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/iscw.2026.2105646.1290
Abstract
Gender variation in the Qur’an has been studied in lexicographical, grammatical, and exegetical sources mainly in terms of grammatical acceptability and mechanisms such as agreement with form and meaning. However, its rhetorical and aesthetic functions and their relationship with linguistic form, meaning, referent, and context require further investigation. This study aims to identify these functions through a descriptive-analytical examination of twelve Qur’anic examples, drawing on the views of Arab grammarians and Qur’anic exegetes. Each example is analyzed in terms of its grammatical and exegetical basis, the relevant referent or intended meaning, and contextual requirements. The findings show that gender variation in the selected examples involves mechanisms such as agreement with form or meaning, syntactic relations, and differences in reference. Rhetorically and aesthetically, it contributes to the alignment of form, meaning, and context; semantic conciseness and density; semantic expansion and diversity of meaning; foregrounding and shifts in the focus of meaning; and dynamic imagery. These findings suggest that gender variation can shape meaning and enhance the expressive quality of Qur’anic discourse through its interaction with linguistic form, meaning, referent, and context. The study ultimately proposes an analytical model linking formal gender variation, its grammatical and semantic interpretation, contextual appropriateness, and the emergence of specific rhetorical and aesthetic functions.
Keywords
Qur’an
gender mismatch
masculine and feminine forms
Qur’anic rhetoric
aesthetics
Subjects
·        The Holy Qur’an.
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Islamic Studies and Quranic Research in the Contemporary World
Volume 5, Issue 1 - Serial Number 9
September 2026
Pages 309-338

  • Receive Date 11 August 2026
  • Revise Date 27 October 2026
  • Accept Date 27 October 2026
  • First Publish Date 27 October 2026
  • Publish Date 23 August 2026