Events in the Qur’an

Q: Why is the same event mentioned differently in different chapters of the Qur’an?

Certain stories of Prophets or narratives of past nations have been mentioned more than once in different Qur’anic chapters. Such repetition is not simply repetition for the sake of repetition, but it is, each time, the placing of emphasis on a different aspect of the same event; i.e., while some aspects of a story are dealt with in one chapter, other aspects of the same story are referred to in another chapter. When a verse is dealing with a certain matter, it is that aspect of the story that is found in the relevant verse. This is similar to the recording of a football match from more than one camera angle and later discussing the events of the match from the different recordings, choosing that which is most suitable for the aspect that is to be discussed.

An event may be mentioned in one place for a certain purpose in the Qur’an, while the same event is mentioned in another place from completely another aspect. For instance, an incident that is given in connection with an event concerned with the children of Israel during the time of Prophet Moses is given; later, the very same incident is told again, from another aspect, to give a totally different lesson. It can be used to relate their history, to comment on their behavior or to act as a means of giving advice, or all of the above at the same time. When the different elements of one story that is mentioned in different chapters are brought together we can obtain a detailed but united picture of the same event, taken from different angles. However, if one does not carefully follow the stories it is possible to think that the same event is being mentioned over and over again, but in fact, a different aspect of it is being emphasized and a different scene is being put forth each time.

In these narratives, it is not the details of events that are important; rather whatever the reader needs to have explained is being provided in the right quantity. Even though the accounts of these events are given in different verses and chapters, they contain a freshness and originality each time. These different accounts make it possible to visualize the history of humanity before our eyes and thus we are able to extract the necessary lessons and warnings from these accounts.

Akgul, Muhittin (2009). The Quran in 99 Questions (Abdullah Erdemli Trans.). New Jersey: Tughra Books. (Originally published in Turkish as Kur’an İklimine Seyahat)