The Majestic Quran

This succinct chapter separates each prophetic story with the catchphrase: “In that is a sign; yet most will not believe (8). The stories make the point: all prophets had the same mission: “Will you not believe? I am an honest messenger for you,” (106). The first story is the encounter between Moses and Pharaoh: the debate between a prophet of God and a tyrant king, where Moses convincingly talks about the power and the majesty of God. Similarly, Abraham expresses God’s generosity: “But My Lord is Lord of the worlds, Who created and guided me, the One who feeds and gives me to drink, and when I am ill heals me” (78–80). The story of Prophet Noah highlights the discrimination of the wealthy against the poor: “Why should we believe in you since only the poorest people are following you?” (111). Their prophets criticise them for their vanity: “You build monuments on every hilltop to please yourselves, and take castles as homes so you might live forever? And, when you seize others’ wealth and land , you are utterly ruthless in doing so” (128–130). The story of Prophet Lot describes the sexual perversion of his people. He pleads with them to give up their wretched way of life: “ Why , of all the people of the world do you approach males lustfully, leaving your wives, whom your Lord has created for you? You are people who have crossed the bounds of decency ” (165–166). The final story is of Prophet Jethro . His people were expert defrauders. At the end, the chapter rejects the Makkans accusation that the Prophet r is a poet. The Prophet r is told; ‘they are unreasonable’. There is no comparison between the life-changing message of the Quran and the works of the poets? In the name of God, the Kind, the Caring. 1 Ta Sin Meem .