A Comparative Pragmatic and Stylistic Analysis of the Four Quls in English and Urdu Translations of the Holy Quran: A Case Study of Abdullah Yousaf Ali and Abul Ala Maududi

Abstract

Regarded as the ultimate source of spiritual enlightenment and linguistic purity, the Quran occupies a central place in islamic belief and scholarly tradition. While a number of studies are available on Qur’anic translation, limited research is available on the comparative pragmatic and stylistic analysis of the Four Quls across English and Urdu translations.

Therefore, by applying a qualitative methodology using a comparative analytical approach, the current study aims to examine how pragmatic features and stylistic patterns of the Four Quls are represented in Abdullah Yusuf Ali’s English and Abul Ala Maududi’s Urdu translations. The study highlights that the Arabic text relies heavily on deixis, repetition, implicit meaning, and rhetorical balance, whereas the two translators differ in how they express these features.Yusuf Ali employs a formal, elevated, and explicative style, while Maududi follows a more direct, concise, and culturally familiar Urdu expression that mirrors the Arabic rhythm more closely. Pragmatically, both translations retain the core illocutionary force of divine command, supplication, and theological distinction, though Yusuf Ali tends toward explicit clarification and Maududi toward natural inferential understanding.

Stylistically, differences are observed in lexical choice, syntactic patterning, and rhythmic rendering across the two translations.