The Forms and Styles of the Beginnings of the Qur'anic Stories

The beginning of a story, in its own right, sets the story's world and determines its progression. Despite the role a story beginning plays in the configuration of the narrative, little attention has been paid to the ways stories begin and to the functions of such beginnings. Since the story beginning influences the readers' process of reading and because the Qur'anic stories aim at evolution, admonition, and learning lessons in the audience and in an engrossing way. Therefore, stories and how they begin are of special significance in this divine book. The present descriptive-analytical study tried to investigate the ways the Qur'anic stories begin. Thus, it seeks to answer this question that do the Qur'anic stories begin differently and innovatively? And if yes, how such beginnings influence the flow of the story? The findings indicate that some stories begin with an introduction and setting the mood while others begin with no introduction hence surprising the audience. Such a variation is because the beginning of each story accords its mood and themes. In addition, the beginning variety somehow encourages the reader to enter the story and follow it.