A brief glimpse through a few of the Qur’aan’s passages immediately reveals that a wide variety of literary forms have been employed in it. The utilization of a variety of literary forms does not simply provide a flowery or elaborate presentation which dazzles the reader or listener, but conveys the unique message of the Qur’aan in the most effective way. As was mentioned in a previous chapter, the aim of the Qur’aan is essentially the guidance of man in three spheres: in his relationship with God, with himself, and with the human society in which he exists. This aim permeates every verse and chapter from the beginning of the Qur’aan until the last verse of its last chapter, number one hundred and fourteen. Thus a variety of literary forms were used to bring this message home to the reader without being monotonous or seemingly repetitious.

Many of the forms are unique to the Arabic language and its constructions, while others are very intricate and appreciable only to literary and linguistic experts. In this chapter we will briefly explore four of the more basic literary forms employed throughout the Qur’aan: the mathal (simile, proverb, and metaphor), the qasam (oath), the jadal (debate), and the qissah (narrative).