Quran and Social Sciences

Quran and Social Sciences

The Impact of Audience Analysis on Methods of Religious Propagation in the Medinan Verses: A Case Study of the First Juzʾ of the Holy Qur’an

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 M.A. in Qur’anic Sciences and Ḥadīth, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran
2 Assistant Professor, Department of Qur’anic Sciences and Ḥadīth, Faculty of Islamic Sciences and Research, Imam Khomeini International University, Qazvin, Iran (Corresponding Author)
Abstract
Audience analysis, as one of the fundamental principles of religious propagation, plays a decisive role in the effectiveness of a message and the realization of its guiding objectives. An educational message can achieve its desired outcome only when it is accompanied by a proper understanding of the audience’s level of comprehension, spiritual needs, cultural circumstances, and social position. The Holy Qur’an, as the central text of Islam, provides a prominent example of a purposeful and audience-oriented system of religious propagation, in which the diversity of audiences has shaped the diversity of both expressive and substantive approaches. Employing a descriptive-analytical method and focusing on the Medinan verses of the first Juzʾ of the Holy Qur’an, the present study seeks to demonstrate how the social and religious structure of the Medinan community and the various types of audiences played a role in determining the style of address, types of argumentation, and content of legal rulings. The findings demonstrate that, in the Medinan verses, Qur’anic addresses are structured according to a precise typology of audiences. In addressing believers and new Muslims, the Qur’an adopts an educational, motivational, and legislative approach. While strengthening doctrinal principles such as belief in the unseen and the Hereafter, it also sets forth a body of devotional, ethical, and social rulings for organizing their individual and collective lives. This approach enables the nascent Islamic community not only to consolidate its inner beliefs but also to attain structural cohesion and a coherent social identity. In contrast, the hypocrites are presented through an expositional yet indirect approach. Rather than focusing on identifying individuals, the Holy Qur’an delineates the behavioral and intellectual characteristics of hypocrisy, including the discrepancy between speech and conduct, false claims of reform, and mockery of believers. This educational approach enhances the level of social awareness and makes the community more resilient against the hidden and gradual infiltration of hypocrisy, without leading to an escalation of overt tensions. In dealing with polytheists and deniers, an argumentative and disputational method becomes prominent. On the one hand, by presenting the Qur’anic challenge (taḥaddī) and inviting them to produce a Sūrah comparable to it, the Qur’an puts its own divine authority to the test; on the other hand, by responding to doubts and explaining the wisdom behind certain rulings, it creates a space for rational dialogue. This approach demonstrates that, in confronting a denial-oriented mindset, persuasion and argumentation occupy a central position. In dialogue with the People of the Book, the Qur’an adopts an approach based on recalling divine blessings, reminding them of previous covenants, criticizing the distortion and concealment of truth, and revisiting the history of the Children of Israel. While emphasizing shared monotheistic principles, this method adopts a reform-oriented approach and creates the possibility for doctrinal interaction. Furthermore, in the multi-tribal and multi-religious environment of Medina, Qur’anic teachings emphasize principles such as fulfillment of covenants, economic justice, refraining from consuming wealth wrongfully, and strengthening social solidarity, demonstrating the close connection between religious guidance and social organization. Audience analysis in the Medinan verses of the Holy Qur’an is a fundamental factor in determining the type of address, the intensity of warning or glad tidings, the method of argumentation, and the content of legislative rulings. The diversity of the Qur’an’s approaches to religious propagation indicates that divine guidance is structured according to the actual requirements of its audiences and provides a comprehensive, dynamic, and effective model for religious propagation in diverse and complex societies.
Keywords
Subjects

The Holy Qur’an
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Volume 6, Issue 2 - Serial Number 22
Spring 2026
Pages 152-187

  • Receive Date 16 June 2026
  • Revise Date 30 June 2026
  • Accept Date 15 August 2026