The Logic of Birds: A Comparative Study of the Qur’ānic Narrative of Solomon and the Ant in Surah An-Naml and the Global Folktale Type of Talking Animals

Document Type : Original Research

Author

English Department, Faculty of Letters and Languages, Arak University, Arak-Iran

Abstract

This study analyzes the similarities and differences between the story of Prophet Solomon (AS) and the ant in Surah An-Naml and the global folktale type known as The Language of Animals (Type 670 in the Aarne–Thompson classification). The findings suggest that, although the Qur’ānic account shares certain surface features with folkloric animal tales, it exhibits distinct characteristics that set it apart. These include its use as a vehicle for theological instruction rather than entertainment; its seamless integration into the surrounding verses of Surah An-Naml; its alignment with the prophetic biography and the socio-historical context of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH); the blending of revelatory and literary language; and its unique structural design, which supports the thematic objectives of the Surah. These insights contribute to a deeper understanding of the Qur’ān’s narrative features and may help address doubts regarding its authenticity and reliability

Keywords

Main Subjects

©2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, as long as the original authors and source are cited. No permission is required from the authors or the publishers.

References

Al-e Ahmad, J., & Daneshvar, S. (1994). Forty parrots. Mitra Publishing.
Bell, R. (1937). The Qur’ān: Translated, with a critical re-arrangement of the Surahs. T. & T. Clark.
Dundes, A. (2003). Fables of the ancients? Folklore in the Qur’ān. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Dundes, A. (2017). Ancient myths: Folklore in the Qur’ān (M. Hossein Golzar, Trans.). Falah. (Original work published 2003)
Frazer, J. G. (1888). The language of animals. The Archaeological Review, 1, 81–91, 161–181.
Hirschfeld, H. (1902). New researches into the composition and exegesis of the Qoran. Royal Asiatic Society.
Khalafallah, M. A. (2023). The art of storytelling in the Holy Qur’ān (M. Armin, Trans.). Ney Publishing.
Mir, M. (1991). Humor in the Qur’ān. The Muslim World, 81(3–4), 179–193.
Nöldeke, T. (2013). Geschichte des Qorans [The history of the Qur’ān] (W. H. Behn, Ed. & Trans.). Brill Academic Publishers. (Original work published 1860)
Penchanski, D. (2021). Solomon and the ant: Qur’ān in conversation with the Bible. Cascade Books.
Roheim, G. (1953). The language of birds. American Imago, 10, 3–14.
Tamer, G. (2009). The Qur’ān and humor. In G. Tamer (Ed.), Humor in Arabic culture (pp. 3–28). Walter de Gruyter.
Watt, W. M. (1970). Bell's introduction to the Qur’ān. Edinburgh University Press.
International Journal of Textual and Translation Analysis in Islamic Studies
Volume 2, Issue 4 - Serial Number 8
October 2024
Pages 406-420

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 09 May 2024
  • Revise Date: 26 June 2024
  • Accept Date: 22 July 2024
  • Publish Date: 01 October 2024

Share

How to cite

Statistics