From Ethico-Religious Exhortation to Legal Paraenesis: Functions of Qur’anic Waʿẓ

Abstract This essay examines qur’anic “exhortation” and “legal paraenesis” in light of pre-Islamic Arabic poetry late antique biblical traditions. It analyzes the verb waʿaẓa related forms narrative legal/legislative sections suras that can be assigned to different chronological stages Qur’an’s textual genesis. Qur’anic exhortations initially occur narratives about messengers sent unbelieving peoples. The word mawʿiẓa then becomes part self-referential vocabulary Qur’an is used characterize contents Moses’ Tablets. linguistic development anticipates a process legal regulatory actualization, specification, exposition: Medinan period, discourse framed with . emerging paraenesis puts emphasis on social applicability, but it neither parochial nor does break Meccan ethics. Instead, connects communication implementation laws, rulings, commands human volition specific context.