Detailed Abstract
Introduction
The Holy Qur’an, as a miracle of the Prophet of Islam (PBUHH) and a guidebook for humanity does not only address a certain stratum or class of people, but its human-building teachings are accessible to all individuals across all generations. Through its unique style, the Qur’an presents ethical, educational, and doctrinal matters to everyone, regardless of their intellectual or cultural background — a feature regarded as one of the secrets of the Qur'an’s miraculous nature. It can be asserted with confidence that presenting ethical and educational issues in the form of stories is among the Qur'an's most effective methods for attracting audiences and conveying these messages, constituting a significant portion of its content. It must be noted, however, that Qur'anic stories are not merely for storytelling; rather, through this narrative style, the Qur'an conveys the highest moral, educational, and theological teachings, along with the historical traditions of past nations, in a language accessible to the general public, aimed at offering lessons, admonition, and guidance. Thus, it is necessary to critically and structurally examine all aspects and dimensions of Qur'anic narratives, so that their hidden layers may be more fully and accurately uncovered.
Research Questions
-What rhetorical styles does the Noble Qur'an employ in narrating the story of Prophet Moses and the angels’ knowledge of human corruption and bloodshed?
-Does accusing a being of corruption and bloodshed before any action has been committed not constitute "punishment before the crime"? And is it possible that such an accusation by the angels was based solely on their own reasoning and inference?
Theoretical Framework
The style of the Qur'an is primarily oral rather than written. Thus, there is no obligation for it to present the details of events, to maintain a strict chronological or geographical sequence, or to adhere to a particular literary style. Instead, the Qur'an, in recounting an event and presenting various topics, intertwines concepts and styles according to contextual appropriateness. It conveys existential truths, theological teachings, legal rulings, exhortations, guidance, and themes of fear and hope together, free from the constraints of formal literary structures — and often outside the conventional and established patterns found in books — using an oral and sermonic structure to reach human audiences.
The Qur'an's oral mechanism and its linguistic implications, especially in the domain of Qur'anic narratives, have always been subjects of challenging discussions among exegetes and scholars. Unlike literary stories, the narratives of the Qur'an recount real and historical events, all of which occurred in the external world. Therefore, it is necessary to analyze these historical events with greater sensitivity, for in historical realities — as opposed to literary truths — a multiplicity of conflicting interpretations is meaningless: different and sometimes contradictory viewpoints cannot simultaneously correspond to what actually happened.
Research background
Many studies and research have been done about the stories of the Qur’an and their style of expression, the most important of which are mentioned:
- Mohammad Hosseini (1382 SH/2003) dedicated his book to the Rīkht-shanāsī-ye Qeṣṣeh-hā-ye Qur’ān (Morphology of Qur’anic Stories). His work aims to highlight the characteristics of storytelling in the Noble Qur'an and to study the formal structure of Qur'anic narratives. However, not all Qur'anic stories were structurally analyzed; rather, the study focuses on twelve specific stories.
 
Mahsa Soleimani (1395 SH/2015) in research titled Barresī-ye sākhtārī-ye Qeṣṣeh-hā-ye Qur’ān-e Karīm (A Structural Analysis of the Stories of the Noble Qur’an), sought to distinguish between Qur'anic and human-authored narratives. She concluded that the Qur’an employs unique and distinctive styles in presenting its stories, especially the narratives of the prophets, which have imparted extraordinary attraction and grandeur to them, turning each story into a manifestation of moral virtues and lofty values. This article was published in the National Scientific Research Conference on Lifestyle Studies.
- Gholamabbas Rezaei and colleagues (1393 SH/2013) in a paper titled Zībāʾī-shanāsī-ye Qeṣṣeh-e Qur’ān-e Karīm (The Aesthetic Dimensions of Qur'anic Stories), explored various aspects of this subject. Published in the first issue of the Journal of Literary Criticism and Rhetoric Research, their study concludes that one of the aesthetic features of Qur’anic narratives is the breaking of temporal boundaries — such that sometimes a story is embedded within another, even if they occurred at different times.
Hossein Fa'al Araghi Nejad and Soheila Mousavi Sirjani (1397 SH/2017) conducted a study titled Shekl-hā va shīveh-hā-ye shuruʿ-e dāstān-hā dar Qur’ān (The Forms and Methods of Story Openings in the Qur'an), published in the fourth issue of the Journal of Literary-Qur'anic Research. Their findings show that some Qur'anic stories begin with detailed scene-setting and introductions, while others commence abruptly, surprising the audience. This diversity stems from the need to align the story’s opening with its thematic atmosphere and content.
- Hadi Valipour and Ahmad Joulaei (1399 SH/2019) in an article titled Khānish-e dāstān-hā-ye Qur’an-e Karīm az manẓar-e terminolojī-ye adabiyāt-e dāstānī (Reading the Stories of the Noble Qur'an through the Lens of Literary Terminology), examined the Qur’anic narratives from a literary standpoint. Published in the second issue of the Journal of Stylistic Studies of the Qur’an, their principal finding is that the Qur’an, in terms of narrative structure and volume, presents various types of stories comparable to those recognized in the global tradition of storytelling. It also features precise and calculated character development, with a distinct beginning and conclusion for each story — indicating the Quran’s timeless relevance for humanity.
The foregoing studies demonstrate that while Qur’anic stories across various Surahs have been examined from different angles, the rhetorical style of the Qur’an regarding the angels' knowledge of human corruption and bloodshed has not been independently studied. Therefore, the present inquiry is unprecedented in this specific regard.
 
Research Methodology
The present essay employs a descriptive-analytical approach to explore and elucidate the style of the narrative concerning Prophet Moses and the angels' knowledge of human corruption and bloodshed.
 
Research Findings
This study reveals that the manner of presenting the story of the killing of the cow by the people of Moses (peace be upon him) shares structural commonalities with the story of humanity's selection as vicegerent, similarities that are also observed in other Qur’anic narratives. These include:
Both stories are preceded by background events that, for the sake of brevity and to avoid repetition, are referred to later in the narrative rather than at the beginning. Careful examination of these instances clarifies all seemingly hidden aspects of the stories.
Just as in the story of the cow's slaughter, Moses's people had prior discussions with him regarding finding the murderer and were awaiting the response of God Almighty, in this narrative, God Almighty also had discussions with the angels regarding humanity's characteristics, including their power of free will, which is alluded to later in the story.
 In the first story, the people of Moses (peace be upon him), upon hearing his response, were convinced and proceeded to carry out the command. Similarly, in the second story, the angels, after directly witnessing humanity's abilities in learning the names (of things), acknowledged their own limitations in comparison to this being and gained a greater understanding of the secrets behind this selection. Therefore, it is necessary in such cases to suffice with what God, the Wise, has stated in the Qur’an, as the proliferation of differing opinions regarding these historical truths can lead to all these truths being viewed with doubt and skepticism, preventing the deduction of any established facts from them.