Educational Aspects of Qurʿānic Parables

Abstract

Qurʾān is the word of Allāh and the diversity of its content and style proves it. This thesis is an effort to expound one aspect of its many linguistic wonders, which is parables in the form of similes found in the Qurʾān. These are complex and intricate in nature and encompass profound meaning. There are innumerable parables found in the Qurʾān. Scholars have divided them based on various standards, complex or simple, hidden or open, etc. Here, twelve parables are chosen based on their content. Then they are divided into four main categories: earth, water, wind and fire, the four components of earth. This thesis targets to achieve two main objectives: to explain these parables and derive educational lessons for practical application in life. In order to accomplish the first objective, Prophetic aḥādīth combined with explanations of the classical and contemporary scholars are used to expound the meanings of the parables. To achieve this, information is collected from twenty classical works only available in Arabic and two which have been translated in English. Tafāsīr are chosen from seven diverse categories; tafsīr bi al-maʾthūr (tafsīr by narration), tafsīr bi al-raʾiy (tafsīr by opinion), fiqhi tafsīr, ishārī tafsīr (symbolic interpretation), linguistic tafsīr, tafsīr tarbawiy (educational tafsīr) and thematic tafsīr. This work presents scholarly work unavailable to the English readers. It is an attempt to collect all possible tafāsīr of each parable with scholarly commentary in a single place for the English reader. For the second part, educational aspect of these parables is brought to light by deriving beneficial lessons and teachings. The purpose of mentioning these parables in the Qurʾān is to educate humans and this is the focus of this research, expectantly the reader will learn practical points and be motivated to ponder over the lessons of Allāh’s message. These lessons are in no way a comprehensive list, but rather a step in the direction of making the message of the Qurʾān relatable to every individual.