Short stories in the Holy Quran An Analytical Study of Surahs Al-Masad and Al-Feel

Abstract

Objectives: This article discusses the beauty and specificity of Qur’anic narrative, focusing on features of two chapters (surah): al-Feel (chapter 105) and al-Masad (chapter 111). The questions addressed by this study include: What is the purpose of divine narrative in these chapters? What is the extent of dominance of singular divine voice? What are the most prominent elements that created complex construction of the chapters resolved through narrative lens? How does the divine narrative present its characters?

Methods: the narrative relyed upon the descriptive and semiotic methods, tracing the narrative path and its structure in the two stories presented in chapters.

Results: This article confirms the purpose of Qur’anic stories as a foundation for Muslim moral beliefs and values. It also emphasizes that both worldly and spiritual punishemnt await those who deviate from their content. Finally, the article shows that style conforms to that of a divine narrator. The presentation of characters, as well as the temporal and physical setting through symbols, plays an active and dynamic role in setting an original narrative stage.

Conclusion: Shorter narrative discourses in the Qur’an contain more specificity than the short story in literature, as the characters are more silent and repressed. This characteristic impacts the development and unfolding of unexpected events, particularly as noticed in the outset of al-Masad (chapter 111). Accordingly, the study recommends examining Qur’anic narrative with a unique perspective and methodology that suits the position of the divine narrator.