Surah al-Qasas (The Stories) 28 : 5

Explanatory Note

The first two episodes, which are mentioned only in this sūrah, are treated at length because they bring to the fore the open challenge to aggressive tyranny. We clearly see how Pharaoh is totally unable to evade God’s will despite all his precautions and manoeuvres: “But it was Our will... to let Pharaoh, Hāmān and their hosts experience at their [i.e. the oppressed] hands the very things against which they were taking precautions.”

Following the Qur’ānic method, the story is actually shown in a series of scenes with some gaps in between that are left to our imagination. In fact the reader does not miss anything of the events and images that are left out between scenes. On the contrary, we actually enjoy the active participation of our imagination. The first episode is recounted in five scenes, while the second takes up nine scenes, followed by four scenes in the third episode. In between each two episodes there is a wide or narrow gap, as is between scenes, allowing the curtains to drop and be lifted again. Before relating the events of the story, however, the sūrah sets the scene against which it all unfolds, thus telling us the story’s overall purpose. Thus the stage is set, and the hand that controls events is shown, together with the goal to be achieved. Declaring to whom this hand belongs right at the outset is intentional and fits the drift of the story from beginning to end.