A Stylistic Analysis of English Translations of Surah Al-Qadr: A Comparative Study of Quranic Mobile Applications

Abstract

This study examines the stylistic characteristics of English translations of Surah Al-Qadr available in three widely used Quranic mobile applications: Quran.com, Muslim Pro, and Jazz Islam World. The research investigates how lexical choices, grammatical structures, rhetorical devices, and phonological features influence the preservation of theological meaning and aesthetic resonance in digital Quranic translations. Using Leech and Short’s stylistic framework, the study adopts a qualitative comparative methodology to analyze the selected translations. The findings reveal significant stylistic variation among the applications. Quran.com emphasizes semantic clarity and theological precision, Muslim Pro prioritizes accessibility and modern readability, while Jazz Islam World adopts a more formal and reverential style. The analysis demonstrates that rhetorical repetition, rhythm, and phonological beauty embedded in Quranic Arabic remain difficult to reproduce fully in English because of structural differences between Arabic and English. Despite these limitations, certain stylistic strategies successfully preserve aspects of the Surah’s emotional and spiritual impact. The study argues that Quranic mobile applications increasingly shape contemporary Muslim engagement with sacred texts and therefore possess considerable influence over theological understanding and devotional experience. The research contributes to Quranic translation studies, stylistics, digital religion, and applied linguistics by emphasizing the importance of balancing semantic accuracy with stylistic fidelity in app-based Quranic translations.