Interpreting Qurʾanic Stories: An Interview with Sayyid Sulayman Hassan Abidi

“And when your Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a vicegerent in the earth, they said: Will you place therein one who will do harm and will shed blood, while we praise and sanctify You? He said: Surely I know that which you know not. (al-Baqarah: 30)” (46 from :03 – 1:00)

This is how the Qurʾan begins human history on the Earth, a conversation between God and the angels. The Qurʾan is filled with parables and stories of Prophets and past communities, narrated in a very particular style and that can at times be difficult to decipher and understand.

How do we read these stories? Do they describe real events that happened in history? Or, are they allegorical and metaphoric?  And how can we, as modern readers understand and gain insights from these Qurʾanic stories? We sat down recently with Sayyid Sulayman Hassan Abidi, the director of the Ahl al-Bayt Islamic Seminary, to address these questions and more. Listen below, or click here to access the interview from our Hipcast page.