通过快速浏览《古兰经》的几段经文，就能立刻发现其中运用了多种多样的文学形式。运用各种文学形式，并非只是为了提供华丽、繁复的表达来令读者或听众眼花缭乱，而是为了以最有效的方式传达《古兰经》独特的信息。正如前一章所提到的，《古兰经》的宗旨本质上是引导人在三个领域中行事：处理与真主的关系、与自身的关系，以及与其所处的人类社会的关系。这一宗旨贯穿于《古兰经》从开篇到第一百一十四章末节的每一节经文和每一章之中。因此，《古兰经》运用了多种文学形式，使这一信息深入读者心中，同时又不显得单调或看似重复。

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.

许多形式是阿拉伯语及其句法所独有的，另一些则非常精微，只有文学和语言学专家才能充分领会。在本章中，我们将简要探讨《古兰经》中运用的四种较为基础的文学形式：譬喻（mathal，明喻、谚语和隐喻）、誓言（qasam）、辩论（jadal）和叙事（qissah）。

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).