The Function of the Narratives of Moses (peace be upon him) in the Process of Cultural Transformation of Islamic Society: From the Reform of the Pre-Islamic Mentality to the Institutionalization of a Monotheistic

Articles in Press

Document Type : پژوهشی

Authors

1 Fatimah al-Zahra Higher Education Institute (Peace be upon her), Khorasgan, Isfahan

2 Member of the Scientific Committee at Al-Tamhid Specialized Center, Qom Member of the Scientific Committee at Al-Tamhid Specialized Center, Qom SeminarySeminary

Abstract

Qur’anic narratives are not merely historical accounts; rather, they perform profound civilizational and educational functions in the process of shaping the religious culture of societies. Among these narratives, the story of Prophet Moses (peace be upon him), which is recounted with high frequency across more than thirty surahs, represents one of the Qur’an’s most prominent instruments for the gradual guidance of the nascent Islamic community. The central question of this study is how the narratives of Moses (pbuh) transformed their function from reforming the pre-Islamic (Jāhiliyyah) mentality to institutionalizing a monotheistic civilization across the Meccan and Medinan periods. Adopting a chronological (tanzīlī) interpretive approach and employing a qualitative–comparative method, this article examines Moses-related verses according to the order of revelation, while analyzing the socio-cultural contexts of Mecca and Medina.

The findings demonstrate that in the Meccan surahs, the narratives of Moses played three primary roles in the cultural transformation of the early Islamic society: transformation of belief (establishing a monotheistic worldview, belief in the Hereafter, and rejection of tyrannical domination), transformation of cognition (cultivating critical consciousness and historical awareness), and transformation of skills (crisis management, social unity, and justice-oriented action). Conversely, in the Medinan surahs, these same narratives evolved into instruments of community-building and social institutionalization, emphasizing collective responsibility, confrontation with hypocrisy, and the institutionalization of justice. Accordingly, the narratives of Moses (pbuh) function as a comprehensive cultural roadmap that guides Islamic society from the reform of mentality to the establishment of a monotheistic civilization.

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New Religious Researches

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 23 August 2026

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