2025 : 4 : 19
Abolfazl Horri

Abolfazl Horri

Academic rank: Associate Professor
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0260-6551
Education: PhD.
ScopusId: 54970572400
HIndex:
Faculty: Literature and Languages
Address: Arak University
Phone:

Research

Title
Unveiling the Obstacles: Why (Qur’ānic) Storytelling Struggled in Early Islamic Society
Type
JournalPaper
Keywords
Qur’ānic storytelling Obstacles Early Islam Israelites Quranic rhetoric
Year
2025
Journal Classical and Contemporary Islamic Studies (CCIS)
DOI
Researchers Abolfazl Horri

Abstract

This article, employing a qualitative-explanatory approach and utilizing library research and document analysis, explores why Qur’ānic storytelling has not been recognized as a distinct branch of Islamic literary studies. The central question addressed is: why, despite the growth of Islamic rhetoric, did the art of storytelling fail to gain prominence among Muslim scholars? Through an examination of available sources, the article identifies six key factors contributing to this oversight: the misinterpretation of the term "qasas"; confusion between stories, myths, history, folktales, and legends; the historical context of storytelling in pre-Islamic times; the overlap of sources for certain stories with those of other prophetic narratives; negative attitudes towards storytelling among the Imams and companions; and the influence of Israelite traditions in exegetical literature. These factors, the article argues, have hindered the development of storytelling as a prominent technique within the Qur’ān.