Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ (Part 4)
Part 4 of observations on the structure, organization and coherence of Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ
This is Part 4 of our breakdown of Sūrat al-Qaṣaṣ (The Story). Check out the previous part before proceeding.
Mirror Structure of Āyāt 36-43a (Arrogance of Pharaoh)
CONNECTIONS
[D]/[D’] – Moses was sent with “miraculous signs,” but the disbelievers denied him saying, “We have not heard of this among our forefathers.” Later, Allah ﷻ says the He gave Moses the Scripture (i.e., the greatest sign) after the former generations had been destroyed.
[E]/[E’] – Allah ﷻ speaks of the “outcome (ʿāqibah)” of those who do good and mentions that the “wrongdoers do not succeed.” The corresponding section shows the “outcome (ʿāqibah)” of those who denied the message and describes how the wrongdoers will inevitably fail.
[F]/[F’] – Pharaoh and his chiefs were arrogant and dismissive of consequences as they mocked Moses and claimed divinity. The linked āyah succinctly summarizes why Pharaoh had such an attitude. Thus, the center perfectly summarizes the surrounding text in this ring.
Ring Structure of Āyāt 43b-46 (Story of a Nation)
CONNECTIONS
[G]/[G’] – Both sections speak of “mercy (raḥmah)” and a type of guidance. The first section explicitly mentions “guidance” and the corresponding section mentions a “warner” – one who guides to good and forbids evil. Both sections end with “so they may be reminded (laʿalla-hum yataẓakkarūn).”
[H]/[H’] – Both sections share the wording, “And you were not on the side (wa mā kunta bijānibi)…when We revealed/called…”
[I]/[I’] – The Messenger ﷺ was told that he was not among the witnesses, nor was he a resident of the people. In other words, since he was not a resident, then he could not have been a witness to the events.
[J] – The ring centers on the mention of generations that have come and passed. As the outer parts reveal, nations receive messengers, are given a chance, and then replaced by others with the passage of time.
Mirror Structure of Āyāt 47-52 (The Message)
CONNECTIONS
[K]/[K’] – When the disbeliever is struck by a calamity they say (yaqūlūna), “Why did You not send us a messenger” to follow? Allah ﷻ then reveals to us that they have been told (qawl – same Arabic root letters as yaqūlūna) many times to follow the Quran and they had already been given guidance which others believed in.
[L]/[L’] – When the disbelievers were presented with guidance, they asked for what Moses used to have and they insulted the message. Then Allah ﷻ rhetorically asks who is more misguided “than one who follows his desires without guidance from Allah?” Allah ﷻ further clarifies and states that He does not guide the “wrongdoing people,” i.e., those who would mock the message as mentioned previously.
[M]/[M’] – First they are challenged to bring a scripture with more guidance than the Quran. In the corresponding section, Allah ﷻ reveals the state of those who attempt such an act of folly.
With this sub-ring, we complete the internals of Section [A] - The Story of Moses. In our next post, we’ll look at the internals of Section [B] - Belief versus Disbelief.
And Allah ﷻ knows best.