Illocutionary Speech Acts in Islamic Preaching: A Pragmatic Analysis of the “Mama dan Aa Beraksi” Television Program

Abstract

This study examines illocutionary speech acts and referential meanings in the Islamic preaching program Mama dan Aa Beraksi, focusing on an episode aired on April 24, 2018. Using Searle’s (1976) taxonomy of speech acts, the research analyzes the sermons of Ustazah Dedeh Rosidah (Mama Dedeh) to identify pragmatic strategies in religious media discourse. The findings reveal five types of illocutionary acts: Assertives (17 instances), which provide moral observations about contemporary society; Directives (16 instances), offering religious guidance on behavior; Commissives (10 instances), linking actions to divine consequences; Expressives (6 instances), conveying emotional or moral evaluations; and Declaratives (6 instances), establishing religious norms. Additionally, 13 instances of referential meaning were identified, demonstrating how Islamic teachings are connected to real-world contexts to enhance relevance for modern audiences. The study highlights the preacher’s strategic use of speech acts to balance theological instruction with audience engagement, particularly through assertive and directive utterances that reinforce ethical principles. The integration of referential meanings further illustrates how religious discourse adapts to media formats while maintaining doctrinal integrity. These findings contribute to the broader understanding of pragmatic strategies in Islamic media, offering insights into how religious messages are tailored for contemporary audiences. For future research, this study suggests expanding the analysis to a larger corpus of sermons across different preachers and platforms, as well as exploring audience reception and the role of humor in mediating religious authority. Such investigations would deepen our understanding of the intersection between religious communication and media pragmatics, providing valuable perspectives for both linguistic and media studies.