quṣṣā

Muslim storyteller

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July 13, 2026

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The term "qussas" (singular: qass) refers to Muslim storytellers who made the Quran more understandable to the masses by elaborating on its texts with detailed descriptions not found in scripture. While theologians sometimes disregarded their interpretations as fanciful and not aligning with orthodoxy, these storytellers played a significant role in popular religious prose. Their tradition is distinct from the qasidah, a pre-Islamic Arabic poetic form.123

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Islamic arts
Age of the caliphs
The quṣṣāṣ (storytellers), who interpreted verses from the Qurʾān, attracted large audiences and may be regarded as the inventors of a popular religious prose. Their interpretations were highly fanciful, however, and hardly squared with the theologian’s orthodoxy.
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The quṣṣāṣ (storytellers), who interpreted verses from the Qurʾān, attracted large audiences and may be regarded as the inventors of a popular religious prose. Their interpretations were highly fanciful, however, and hardly squared with the theologian’s orthodoxy.
Read More