Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran

Analysis of narrative elements in the story of Hazrat Hud (peace be on him) based on Tzvetan Todorov's method

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ebrahim Namdari 1
maryam nazarbeygi 2
mostafa javanrudi 3
1 Associate Professor of Department of Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Ayatollah Borujerdi University, Borujerd, Iran.
2 . Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Ayatollah Boroujerdi University, Boroujerd, Iran.
3 Associate Professor, Department of Arabic Language and Literature Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran.
10.22034/sshq.2024.449889.1448
Abstract
Research Objective: Narrative studies are one of the important sciences that have attracted the attention of scholars all over the world, and the reason for this can be seen in the precise understanding of the word and the narration of an individual through the models of narratology. Meanwhile, the Holy Quran, as a divine miracle, has narrations that can be understood more precisely through narratology. The aim of the present study is to find out how the Holy Quran best expresses its purpose of narration and how these narrations advance the guiding purpose of man. The main aim is to recognize and explain how the guiding and educational purposes of the Quran are expressed and conveyed through the elements of narration in the story of Prophet Hood (pbuh), in such a way that it can be shown how the Quran, by utilizing various elements of narration, is not simply a narration of a historical event, but also an effective tool in guiding people and strengthening their moral and faith beliefs.
Research Method: The present article first explains Tzvetan Todorov's structural model using a descriptive-analytical method; Todorov has defined the various aspects of the narrative as different aspects governing the relationships between the characters in the story, and since the character is one of the main elements of the story, it is necessary to address these aspects; then, it examines the verses related to the story of Prophet Hood (pbuh) and its narrative aspects. In this regard, this research, using the narratological approach and structural analysis based on Tzotan Todorov's model, attempts to determine the details and main elements of the narrative, and to show how each element serves the ultimate goal of guiding and educating humans. Findings: Most of the mentioned verses are related to the non-narrative aspect of desire and obligation, which indicates the consolidation of divine laws, and cases that also come with the non-narrative aspect of hypothetical prediction, have many emphases, which also serve as an emphasis on the inability to violate divine commands; Therefore, the verses achieve their purpose of revelation in the best possible narrative structure and consider adherence to divine requirements so important that every reader is obliged to follow it. Finally, by deeply analyzing the narration of Prophet Hood (pbuh) and focusing on how educational and guiding messages are conveyed, a new and scientific perspective was obtained on the capabilities of narration in the Quran and its role in shaping human beliefs and behaviors, and it showed how the elements of narration in the Quran act not only as a linguistic tool, but also as educational and guiding tools to pave the way for humans to follow their worshipful and moral path.
 Conclusion: The results obtained showed that in all the verses, the necessity of worshiping God is a non-news aspect of a hidden imperative that never needs to be expressed; Then, the verses that express the occurrence of divine punishment, mostly, were in the non-news aspect of obligatory will, which shows their certainty, and some were in the non-news aspect of hypothetical prediction. They had so many emphases with them that there was no doubt about their occurrence. Finally, the verses of punishment were revealed in the news aspect, which also refer to the flow of the obligatory aspect of worshiping God and the obligation of the occurrence of punishment in case of transgression. As a result, the narration of Prophet Hood, as discussed, was revealed with the aim of drawing lessons from others, and this matter was so strongly emphasized and established by the aforementioned narrative aspects that it leads every reader to the purpose of the narration. Most of the verses mentioned were explained in a non-newsworthy and obligatory manner, which shows the firmness of the divine laws, and the cases that were mentioned in a non-newsworthy and hypothetical manner, were all fully emphasized, which also serves as an emphasis on the impossibility of violating the divine commands; therefore, the verses achieved the purpose of their revelation in the best possible narrative structure and introduced the necessity of adhering to the divine requirements to such an extent that every reader is obliged to follow it.
Keywords
Holy Quran
story of Hud (pbuh)
narrative features
Tzvetan Todorov
s method
Subjects

The Holy Quran
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Stylistics Studies of the Holy Quran
Volume 9, Issue 2 - Serial Number 17
Volume 9, Issue 2 - Serial Number 17, Summer&Winter 2025
November 2025
Pages 250-265

  • Receive Date 25 March 2024
  • Revise Date 08 June 2024
  • Accept Date 09 June 2024
  • Publish Date 23 October 2025