Are Quranic Stories Real or Symbolic?
Answered by Shaykh Anas al-Musa
Question
Are the stories in the Quran real or symbolic and narrated only for consideration?
Answer
In the Name of Allah, the Merciful and Compassionate.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of all worlds, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger sent as a mercy to the worlds, our Master and Prophet, Muhammad, and his Family and Companions.
Yes, all the stories and parables in the Quran, and the people and events mentioned therein, are part of reality without any doubt. The stories of the Quran are the words of the Lord of Glory, revealed to the Noble Messenger to be sources of lessons, examples to follow, and manifestations of wisdom. They are, as Allah (Most High) described them:
“Certainly, this is the true narrative.” [Quran, 3:62]
Therefore, the stories of the Quran are not artistic works subject to the creation and innovation that characterize art, without a commitment to historical accuracy. [Khidr Husayn, Mawsu‘at al-A‘mal al-Kamila]
A story is an account of an incident that is unknown to the one being informed. The plural of “قِصَّة” (story) is “قِصَص” with a kasra on the “ق”, while “قَصَص” with a fatha on the “ق” refers to the content of the narrated news. [Ibn ‘Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir]
The stories of the Quran are not intended to recount the history of nations or individuals but are realistic lessons for people. Allah (Most High) clarified this in Surat Yusuf, after briefly mentioning the biographies of the prophets and their people, saying:
“In their stories there is truly a lesson for people of reason.” [Quran, 12:111]
Therefore, Quranic stories do not recount events in chronological order nor exhaustively detail them. Each sura mentions different aspects and morals of the same story, and together they comprise all the lessons Allah (Most High) intended for this nation. [Rashid Rida, Tafsir al-Manar]
Hence, the Quranic stories—despite their limited number—cover human life at all times and places. [Sa‘id Hawwa, al-Asas fi al-Tafsir]
Here are some important points to consider in Quranic stories:
1. Reverence for Quranic Stories among Believers
The belief that the stories in the Quran are the words of Allah (Most High), revealed to the Noble Messenger, reveres these stories in the hearts of believers. It prevents them from studying them as they would those produced by human minds with specific objectives, which may not hesitate to draw from untrue imagination, mix seriousness with jest, and place falsehood alongside truth. [Khidr Husayn, Mawsu‘at al-A‘mal al-Kamila]
2. Truthfulness in Quranic Revelation
The belief that the Quran is a revelation from the All-Knowing, the Wise, implies that its reports must conform to reality. If we were to allow the possibility of untruthful statements in the Quran, it would mean that some of its statements could be lies, as a lie is defined as speech that does not conform to reality. [Ibid.]
3. The Quran’s Historical Fragments and Their Purpose
The intent behind denying that the stories of the Quran are history is not to imply that history is false or harmful, making the Quran superior to it. Rather, the stories in the Quran are fragments of history that teach people how to benefit from history.
The historical content in the Quran is akin to the natural history of animals, plants, and inanimate objects, and its discussions on astronomy all aim to provide lessons and demonstrate the Creator’s power and wisdom, rather than detailing the specific issues of natural and astronomical sciences that Allah has enabled humans to discover through research, observation, and experimentation, guided by innate knowledge and revelation. [Majallat al-Manar]
4. Quranic Stories as Historical Records
It is not incorrect to consider the stories in the Quran as historical records. The Quran is the most accurate source concerning the matters of past nations and those who lived at the time of its revelation. The proof that the Quran is a divine revelation is the same proof that its stories are true history, which is essential for believing that it is a heavenly revelation. Claiming to have faith in the Quran without this belief is like claiming the sun is shining while denying the existence of daylight. [Khidr Husayn, Mawsu‘at al-A‘mal al-Kamila]
5. The Creator’s Power
While humans may resort to imagination and fantasy to create stories when reality fails to meet their expectations and desires, the power of the Creator, glorified and exalted be He, is not limited by anything. He wills something, and it happens as He wills, without any deficiency or delay. [Khatib, al-Tafsir al-Qurani li al-Quran]
6. Quranic Stories as Lessons and Admonitions
The Quranic stories serve as lessons and admonitions, as our Lord said:
“In their stories there is truly a lesson for people of reason.” [Quran, 12:111]
Therefore, only what is necessary for the benefit is mentioned, while the details and intricacies of these stories are omitted. Mentioning the disputes in these stories might undermine confidence in them, and the primary purpose is to draw lessons. [Maraghi, Tafsir al-Maraghi]
7. The Divine Origin of Quranic Stories
“In their stories there is truly a lesson for people of reason. This message cannot be a fabrication, rather (it is) a confirmation of previous revelation” [Quran, 12:111]
The above verse affirms that the stories in the Quran are neither invented nor fabricated. The proof lies in the fact that similar stories were known among people before the Quran was revealed. While they may differ slightly in some details or particulars from what people narrate, they align in general and substantively confirm them.
Therefore, do not assume, O disbelievers, that the Prophet invented them with his mind. Instead, ask the People of the Book; you will find these stories known among them and narrated in their scriptures. The existence of these Quranic stories among people before does not weaken the argument of the Quran; rather, it strongly supports and reinforces it. Thus, the Quran itself uses these stories as evidence of its divine origin because the Prophet did not have access to the books of the People of the Book. [Majallat al-Manar]
Note: The previous verse does not imply that the stories in the Quran must not differ in any way from the stories in the Torah and the Gospel. Otherwise, Allah (Most High) would not have said: “Indeed, this Quran clarifies for the Children of Israel most of what they differ over.” [Quran, 27:76]. Thus, the stories in the Quran may differ from what they have and clarify the truth from falsehood. There is no contradiction between the Quran affirming their stories in general while differing in some details.
8. The Sublime Objective of Quranic Narratives
The purpose of narrating the stories is not solely to obtain lessons and admonitions but also for a higher and more sublime objective. These stories contain many lessons and benefits for the Umma. Therefore, we see that the Quran takes from each story its most honorable themes and disregards the rest to ensure that its recounting of stories is free from the intention of mere amusement.
For all these reasons, the stories in the Quran are not presented sequentially in one or multiple surahs as a history book would. Instead, they are distributed across various appropriate contexts because most of the benefits derived from them are related to this distribution. [Ibn ‘Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir]
9. The Superiority of Quranic Stories
The Quranic stories are the best of stories, as mentioned in Allah’s (Most High) words:
“We relate to you (O Prophet) the best of stories.” [Quran, 12:3]
This is because they come from the All-Knowing, the All-Wise, Who reveals what He knows to be of the greatest benefit to the listeners in the most beautiful words and expressions. Thus, they provide nourishment for the mind and soul and delight for the heart and taste in a way that human minds cannot match. [Ibn ‘Ashur, al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir]
10. The Focus on Lessons Over Details in Quranic Stories
A consistent characteristic of the Quranic stories is that their details are not mentioned. For instance, in Surat al-Kahf, regarding the story of Dhu al-Qarnayn, nothing is mentioned about the character of Dhu al-Qarnayn, nor about his time or place. This is because the intended lesson from the story is achieved without the need to specify the time and place in most cases. [Sa‘id Hawwa, al-Asas fi al-Tafsir]
Great Benefits and Profound Lessons from Quranic Stories
These stories contain great benefits and profound lessons, and the most important of them are:
- Understanding the Quranic stories and reflecting on their meanings are clear signs of the truthfulness of the Messenger (Allah bless him and give him peace), as well as lessons, admonitions, and warnings that illustrate Allah’s ways with those who denied the messengers, and the ultimate destruction and punishment that befell them.
- Clarifying the core principles of religion shared by all prophets, such as belief in Allah, His oneness, His knowledge, wisdom, justice, and mercy, and belief in the resurrection and judgment.
- Demonstrating that the role of the messengers is only to convey Allah’s revelation to His servants; they have no power beyond that to bring benefit or harm.
- Illustrating Allah’s ways in the psychological and intellectual readiness of humans for both faith and disbelief and for good and evil.
- Explaining Allah’s ways in society, human nature, and the wisdom in His creation of the world.
- Providing Allah’s signs and proofs for His creation in supporting His messengers.
- Presenting the specific advice and admonitions of the prophets to each people according to their circumstances, such as the delusion and arrogance of the people of Noah, the wealth and tyranny of Pharaoh and his chiefs, the strength and oppression of the people of ‘Ad, and the lewdness of the people of Lot. [Maraghi, Tafsir al-Maraghi]
Conclusion
It is our duty regarding the Quranic stories to understand them, reflect on Allah’s wisdom in them, and take lessons from them as revealed by our Lord, without adding to them or diminishing them with our opinions or by narrating from unreliable sources. Many commentators have been misled by Israeli narratives in these stories, many of which are fabricated lies. Even what is true among them, we do not need, so we have become in need of reconciling the authentic, infallible revelation with them. [Majallat al-Manar]
For more details on this topic, please see the following books:
- ‘Ulum al-Quran by ‘Itr;
- Mabahith fi ‘Ulum al-Quran by Qattan;
- Al-Muqaddimat al-Asasiyya fi ‘Ulum al-Quran.
May Allah bless the Prophet Muhammad and give him peace, and his Family and Companions.
And Allah knows best.
[Shaykh] Anas al-Musa
Shaykh Anas al-Musa, born in Hama, Syria, in 1974, is an erudite scholar of notable repute. He graduated from the Engineering Institute in Damascus, where he specialized in General Construction, and Al-Azhar University, Faculty of Usul al-Din, where he specialized in Hadith.
He studied under prominent scholars in Damascus, including Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Shaghouri and Shaykh Adib al-Kallas, among others. Shaykh Anas has memorized the Quran and is proficient in the ten Mutawatir recitations, having studied under Shaykh Bakri al-Tarabishi and Shaykh Mowfaq ‘Ayun. He also graduated from the Iraqi Hadith School.
He has taught numerous Islamic subjects at Shari‘a institutes in Syria and Turkey. Shaykh Anas has served as an Imam and preacher for over 15 years and is a teacher of the Quran in its various readings and narrations.
Currently, he works as a teacher at SeekersGuidance and is responsible for academic guidance there. He has completed his Master’s degree in Hadith and is now pursuing his Ph.D. in the same field. Shaykh Anas al-Musa is married and resides in Istanbul.
