In the tradition of ‘ulum al-Qur’an, the term story comes from the word qis}s}ah, the plural of which is qiṣaṣ [18]. Terminologically, it is understood as the narration of revelations about the events of previous nations, the prophets, and certain events that are true, which Allah conveyed for the purposes of guidance, lessons, and purification of the soul [3]. Classical scholars emphasize that the stories of the Qur'an are not mere literary fiction, but Akhbar Shadiqah (true news), because they originate from Allah[19]. In line with this, al-Suyūṭī emphasized that all the stories in the Qur'an are Haqq (true), regardless of whether their wisdom is known directly or not, because their truth is inherent in the status of revelation itself [20]. At this analytical stage, classical ‘ulum al-Qura’n perspectives are examined to establish the foundational epistemological status of Quranic stories as truthful revelation, which serves as the baseline framework for later critical comparison.

Thus, the stories in the Quran differ fundamentally from the concept of story or fiction in the modern literary tradition [21],[22]. The stories of the Quran are not merely aesthetic tales or narratives, but rather a medium of revelatory truth directed toward pedagogical and spiritual goals, providing moral and existential lessons for its readers [23],[24], with the primary purpose of providing lessons, warnings, and moral guidance for humanity [25]. This distinction is analytically significant because it highlights the non fictional epistemic status attributed to Quranic narratives within the classical tradition.

From the perspective of classical ‘ulūm al-Qur'ān, the stories of the Qur'an can generally be classified into several main categories. First, Qiṣaṣ al-Anbiyā’, which are the stories of the prophets, covering their missionary journeys, the responses of their people, miracles, and the consequences of faith and disbelief. Second, qiṣaṣ ghayr al-anbiyā’, which are stories of figures or communities other than prophets, such as Ashḥāb al-Kahf, Dzulqarnayn, and previous peoples. Third, qiṣaṣ al-wāqi‘āt fī ‘aṣr al-nuzūl, which are events that occurred during the time of the Prophet Muhammad, such as the battles of Badr, Uhud, Hunayn, and the events of the hijrah[20],[26].

In addition to these historical categories, scholars of ‘ulūm al-Qur’ān also make a clear distinction between qiṣaṣ and amthāl. Amthāl al-Qur’ān are pedagogical parables or metaphors that are not intended as historical accounts, but rather as a means of explaining abstract meanings through concrete images [27]. This distinction is important because not all Qur'anic narratives are on the same historical level. This is without denying the truth of the revelation itself. Included in this are ghaibiyah stories, which are stories that cannot be perceived through the five senses, but are real and not fabricated fairy tales [28]. These stories are not human imagination or imaginative constructions, but rather revelatory information whose truth transcends the limits of empirical experience [29].

This analytical mapping of narrative categories provides the conceptual groundwork for evaluating Khalafullah’s claim that certain Quranic stories function primarily as imaginative representations (Tamthīliyyah), and for assessing whether such a claim aligns with or departs from the epistemological assumptions of classical ‘ulūm al-Qur'ān.

Muhammad Ahmad Khalafullah was born in 1916 in the province of Sharqiyah, Lower Egypt. He was one of Egypt's contemporary Islamic thinkers, known for his contributions to the study of Quranic literature. He was a student of Amin al-Khuli and developed an Adabi approach to interpretation that positions the stories of the Quran as narrative structures that have rhetorical and pedagogical functions. His ideas, which sparked controversy and widespread debate because they proposed a reading of the stories of the Quran that did not always demand historical accuracy, were published in 1953 in a work entitled al-Fann al-Qashashī fī al-Qur’ān al-Karīm, which represented the main points of his views in this field [30].

Khalafullah’s categorization of Qur’anic stories emphasizez that prophetic narratives cannot be reduced to historical chronicles, but must be understood according to their rhetorical and pedagogical purposes. This view finds support in contemporary Qur’anic narrative studies, which argue that qas}as} function as a framework for moral and theological instruction rather the historical reconstruction. As Yussof notes, Qur’anic narratives direct “the essence of narrative pedagogy” through layered meanings that engage truth, beauty, and explanation [31]. Similarly, Hail argues that narrative variations in the Qur’an represent “purposefull theological recontextualisations,” underscoring that differences in storytelling aim at conveying distinct theological objectives rather than factual historiography [32]. Khalafullah divides the narratives in the Quran into three main categories, namely:

This type of narrative is a form of historical literature, in which the Quran takes story material from historical events and then shapes it into a literary form that not only explains the meaning but also reinforces the messages it contains in such a way as to evoke an emotional response and touch the consciousness of its readers [34].

In this case, there is an issue related to the existence of al-khayal(imagination) in the story that is important to explain. It is true that some of the material in the stories of the Quran is imaginary [34],[35]. It should be understood that the existence of imagination in the stories of the Quran is merely to fulfill and harmonize human needs, not in its capacity as a result of Allah's imagination. It is impossible for Allah to be said to have imagined first before expressing the purpose of the stories in the Quran. This means that the element of imagination was deliberately created by Allah to help humans understand the messages of the Quran more easily, because imagination is one of the communication mediators often used by humans to explain their feelings and thoughts [34].

According to Khalafullah, imaginative stories fall into the second category, namely qiṣaṣ tamthliyyah (illustrative stories). In this section, Khalafullah expresses the view that these stories are literary works resulting from the imagination of the storyteller, presented not as historical facts but as metaphors to convey universal moral messages and ethical guidance [34]. In other words, the stories told do not have to have happened, nor do the characters have to be real people, nor do the dialogues have to be based on the words of specific people. This means that a tamthīliyyah story only requires the use of imagination [33]. This understanding is based on the view that supernatural or extraordinary elements in these stories, such as miracles or dramatic events, must be understood symbolically, not literally. Through this approach, Khalafullah seeks to maintain the relevance of the teachings of the Quran by eliminating the tension between the narrative of the holy book and the findings of modern science, an interpretation that has sparked debate among modern and contemporary exegetes.

There are two phenomena of tamthīliyyah as follows: first, the analogy is usually mentioned after its meanings have been explained first. In this context, the function of the parable is to reinforce these meanings. Second, the meanings of the parable are sometimes hidden or implied in the description of the parable itself; in other words, the meaning is not stated directly [34]. Al-Jurjani explains that linguists agree that when a parable is mentioned after the intended meanings or only in the form of a brief description taken from the original portrait, its effect and influence are very powerful in stirring the hearts and souls of the listeners. And the benefits gained from this are considerable [36].

The steps taken by Khalafullah in his research include collecting verses that contain stories, then arranging them in chronological order of revelation (tartib nuzuli) and interpreting their meanings through an adabi or literary approach[34]. This approach positions the text of the Quran not only as a source of law and theology, but also as a work that has aesthetic value and a distinctive narrative structure. The following is an example of the application of tamthīliyyah storytelling imagination. .

اِذْ قَالَ الْحَوَارِيُّوْنَ يٰعِيْسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ هَلْ يَسْتَطِيْعُ رَبُّكَ اَنْ يُّنَزِّلَ عَلَيْنَا مَاۤىِٕدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاۤءِ ۗقَالَ اتَّقُوا اللّٰهَ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ مُّؤْمِنِيْنَ. قَالُوْا نُرِيْدُ اَنْ نَّأْكُلَ مِنْهَا وَتَطْمَىِٕنَّ قُلُوْبُنَا وَنَعْلَمَ اَنْ قَدْ صَدَقْتَنَا وَنَكُوْنَ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الشّٰهِدِيْنَ. قَالَ عِيْسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ اللّٰهُمَّ رَبَّنَآ اَنْزِلْ عَلَيْنَا مَاۤىِٕدَةً مِّنَ السَّمَاۤءِ تَكُوْنُ لَنَا عِيْدًا لِّاَوَّلِنَا وَاٰخِرِنَا وَاٰيَةً مِّنْكَ وَارْزُقْنَا وَاَنْتَ خَيْرُ الرّٰزِقِيْنَ. قَالَ اللّٰهُ اِنِّيْ مُنَزِّلُهَا عَلَيْكُمْ ۚ فَمَنْ يَّكْفُرْ بَعْدُ مِنْكُمْ فَاِنِّيْٓ اُعَذِّبُهٗ عَذَابًا لَّآ اُعَذِّبُهٗٓ اَحَدًا مِّنَ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ ࣖ.

Khalafullah places the story of the request for food from heaven by the hawariyyun as a qisas tamthiliyyah. To be clear, this story is not intended as a report of empirical events, but rather as a pedagogical metaphor that illustrates the relationship between faith, doubt, and the demand for evidence in human religion. He emphasizes that “food from heaven” is understood not as an empirical event but as a symbol of divine promise and a warning against the human attitude of demanding tangible proof in matters of faith [34].

This interpretation differs from that of the majority of classical exegetes, who understand the verse as a material miracle performed by the Prophet Jesus, peace be upon him. However, this difference does not negate the didactic purpose of the story, but rather indicates a shift in emphasis from the historical factuality of the verse to its ethical message [37],[38],[39].

وَاِذْ قَالَ اِبْرٰهٖمُ رَبِّ اَرِنِيْ كَيْفَ تُحْيِ الْمَوْتٰىۗ قَالَ اَوَلَمْ تُؤْمِنْ ۗقَالَ بَلٰى وَلٰكِنْ لِّيَطْمَىِٕنَّ قَلْبِيْ ۗقَالَ فَخُذْ اَرْبَعَةً مِّنَ الطَّيْرِ فَصُرْهُنَّ اِلَيْكَ ثُمَّ اجْعَلْ عَلٰى كُلِّ جَبَلٍ مِّنْهُنَّ جُزْءًا ثُمَّ ادْعُهُنَّ يَأْتِيْنَكَ سَعْيًا ۗوَاعْلَمْ اَنَّ اللّٰهَ عَزِيْزٌ حَكِيْمٌ ࣖ

In interpreting QS. 2:260, Khalafullah refers to the interpretive dialogue quoted by Muhammad 'Abduh from al-Rāzī and Abu Muslim. The majority of classical exegetes understand this verse as a literal historical event, in which Ibrahim actually chopped up four birds as an empirical miracle to bring back to life creatures that had died [40]. However, Abu Muslim rejected this view and asserted that the verse is a Tamthil about Allah's ease in reviving the dead, without necessitating the occurrence of physical events as described in the text [40]. This view was later supported by 'Abduh, who considered the main focus of the verse to be Ibrahim's peace of mind, not the technicalities of resurrection [41].

Based on this framework, Khalafullah emphasizes the presence of al-takhyīl al-fannī (artistic imagination) in the Qur'an in the scene of selecting, cutting up, and then calling the birds. This narrative is understood as a visual dramatization that transforms rational beliefs into emotional experiences. Faith is not only understood, but also experienced psychologically. Thus, this verse works pedagogically through its imaginative power, not as a historical account that demands empirical truth [34]. In religious discourse, metaphor operates as an epistemic and imaginative tool that translates abstract theological meanings into symbolic form accesible to human cognition and emotional experience [42].

This approach differs from the views of classical exegetes such as al-Tabari, al-Qurṭubī, and al-Rāzī, who assert that the event was a historical miracle that actually happened to the Prophet Ibrahim and relate it to an increase in faith from 'ilm al-yaqīn to 'ayn al-yaqīn[38], [40], [43]. al-Rāzī discusses this at length within the framework of rational theology. He explains that there are two levels of faith, namely 'Ilm al-Yaqīn (faith based on knowledge) and 'Ayn al-Yaqīn (faith based on direct vision), and Prophet Ibrahim's request falls into the category of 'Ayn al-Yaqīn, which is to witness firsthand the truth that has been believed [40]. This difference shows a shift in emphasis in the reading of the Quranic story, namely from historical narrative to symbolic pedagogy in line with the concept of Khalafullah, which positions the Quranic story as a medium for communicating values and shaping human religious consciousness.

لَىِٕنْۢ بَسَطْتَّ اِلَيَّ يَدَكَ لِتَقْتُلَنِيْ مَآ اَنَا۠ بِبَاسِطٍ يَّدِيَ اِلَيْكَ لِاَقْتُلَكَۚ اِنِّيْٓ اَخَافُ اللّٰهَ رَبَّ الْعٰلَمِيْنَ. اِنِّيْٓ اُرِيْدُ اَنْ تَبُوْۤاَ بِاِثْمِيْ وَاِثْمِكَ فَتَكُوْنَ مِنْ اَصْحٰبِ النَّارِۚ وَذٰلِكَ جَزٰۤؤُا الظّٰلِمِيْنَۚ. فَطَوَّعَتْ لَهٗ نَفْسُهٗ قَتْلَ اَخِيْهِ فَقَتَلَهٗ فَاَصْبَحَ مِنَ الْخٰسِرِيْنَ. فَبَعَثَ اللّٰهُ غُرَابًا يَّبْحَثُ فِى الْاَرْضِ لِيُرِيَهٗ كَيْفَ يُوَارِيْ سَوْءَةَ اَخِيْهِ ۗ قَالَ يٰوَيْلَتٰٓى اَعَجَزْتُ اَنْ اَكُوْنَ مِثْلَ هٰذَا الْغُرَابِ فَاُوَارِيَ سَوْءَةَ اَخِيْۚ فَاَصْبَحَ مِنَ النّٰدِمِيْنَ ۛ.

In reading QS. Al-Maidah [5]: 28-31, Khalafullah quotes Muhammad 'Abduh's interpretation in the al-Manar tafsir, which understands the story of Habil and Qabil not merely as a historical story, but as a tamthil about human inner conflict. According to Abduh, the essence of the story of Qabil's murder is an internal struggle between the instinct of brotherhood and the urge for domination caused by jealousy. Through this story, the Qur'an presents two opposing attitudes: obedience to divine law, represented by Habil, and the domination of lust, which caused Qabil to fall into crime and moral loss. The evidence of the war between the instinct of love and affection for his brother and Qabil's desire to defeat and surpass his brother, or his desire to be the only one whose sacrifice is accepted, is in the words of Allah: “Then Qabil's lust made him think it easy to kill his brother, so he killed him, and thus he became one of the losers.” The depiction of Qabil's attitude of prioritizing his desires, which were motivated by feelings of envy and jealousy, is a warning from the Qur'an about the consequences of such an attitude [41].

In line with this framework, Khalafullah highlights the element of al-takhyil al-fanni in this narrative story. First, the omission of the characters' names shifts the story from an individual biography to a typology of human characters. Thus, the conflict between Cain and Abel can be developed in any context of human life. Second, the dialogue presented in the Qur'an is structured like a dramatic scene depicting an inner struggle between the voice of faith and the voice of desire, so that the moral message has a greater psychological impact [34]. Third, the presence of a crow as a teacher of how to bury the dead is a powerful moral symbol: humans who fail to control their desires must learn moral values from creatures considered lower than themselves. In Khalafullah's perspective of Qur'anic literary art, the symbol of the crow serves an imaginative function in the story as a medium for conveying moral messages. Thus, the literary and pedagogical aspects of the story are given greater priority than the emphasis on its historical accuracy, without compromising the message of truth that the Qur'an wishes to convey [34].

وَاِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلٰۤىِٕكَةِ اِنِّيْ جَاعِلٌ فِى الْاَرْضِ خَلِيْفَةً ۗ قَالُوْٓا اَتَجْعَلُ فِيْهَا مَنْ يُّفْسِدُ فِيْهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاۤءَۚ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۗ قَالَ اِنِّيْٓ اَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ. وَعَلَّمَ اٰدَمَ الْاَسْمَاۤءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلٰۤىِٕكَةِ فَقَالَ اَنْۢبِـُٔوْنِيْ بِاَسْمَاۤءِ هٰٓؤُلَاۤءِ اِنْ كُنْتُمْ صٰدِقِيْنَ. قَالُوْا سُبْحٰنَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ اِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۗاِنَّكَ اَنْتَ الْعَلِيْمُ الْحَكِيْمُ. قَالَ يٰٓاٰدَمُ اَنْۢبِئْهُمْ بِاَسْمَاۤىِٕهِمْ ۚ فَلَمَّآ اَنْۢبَاَهُمْ بِاَسْمَاۤىِٕهِمْۙ قَالَ اَلَمْ اَقُلْ لَّكُمْ اِنِّيْٓ اَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالْاَرْضِۙ وَاَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُوْنَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُوْنَ.

Khalafullah categorizes the story of Prophet Adam in this verse as Qishah Tamthiliyyah, which is a narrative that serves as a symbolic representation to convey a moral message without having to be understood as a chronological-historical account. In reading this verse, he follows the view of Muhammad Abduh, who positions this story as a pedagogical parable [34]. According to Khalafullah, the structure of the dialogue between God, the angels, Adam, and Satan is constructed through narrative and symbolic devices that lead readers to an understanding of the nature of humans as caliphs, rather than a detailed explanation of the technicalities of human creation itself [34].

Within this framework, teaching Adam the names can be understood as indicating the intellectual and spiritual capacity of humans to recognize, understand, and utilize nature for good. The angels' inability to mention these names illustrates the awareness of the limitations of beings other than humans in grasping the complexity of the meaning of the universe. Meanwhile, the angels' prostration before Adam is understood as a symbol of the submission of cosmic potential to humans, who are equipped with reason and knowledge. Meanwhile, the devil's refusal to prostrate reflects the dark side of humans who are reluctant to subdue their desires and selfish impulses, which, if left unchecked, can lead to conflict, hatred, and social destruction.

This symbolic approach is not unfamiliar in the classical interpretation tradition. Al-Tabari, for example, acknowledges that the story of Satan's refusal to prostrate himself before Adam serves as a parable to rebuke groups who reject the truth out of arrogance, including some Jews and polytheists in Mecca [44]. However, unlike Khalafullah, Al-Tabari continues to assert that this symbolic element is based on historical reality that actually occurred. In other words, symbolism in classical exegesis serves as an additional layer of meaning without negating the factuality of the creation of Adam and Satan's rebellion as part of the history of revelation.

From the four examples above, it can be seen that Khalafullah consistently places imaginative elements as literary devices that have pedagogical, psychological, and ethical functions. Imagination is understood as an effective medium of communication of meaning for humans, so that the truth of the story does not depend on historical proof of the events narrated, but rather on its transformative power in shaping attitudes of faith and morality. The effectiveness of imaginative narratives lies in their capacity to shape moral consciousness and religious attitudes trough symbolic dramatization rather than factual verification, a feature widely recognized in contemporary studies of sacred texts [42],[45]. This approach successfully explains the rhetorical function and educational value of the stories in the Qur'an, but at the same time raises a fundamental epistemological question, namely, to what extent can the imaginative elements in revelation be separated from the claim to truth attached to them. It is at this point that a tension arises between Khalafullah's symbolic reading and the traditional view that places the stories of the Qur'an as narratives that, in addition to containing symbolic meaning, are also rooted in a reality of truth believed to originate from divine revelation.

Within al-Ghazali's epistemological framework, revelation occurs through a gradual process, following the ontological structure of reality and human cognitive abilities. Al-Ghazali divides reality into two major realms, namely: alam shahadah (the visible world) and alam malakut (the unseen world), which are interconnected through a system of tamsil established by Allah. In Mishkat al-Anwar, al-Ghazali mentions that reality has gradual levels:

الملك-الخيال-الملكوت

“physical realm-imaginary realm-spiritual realm”

Al-Ghazali asserts that nothing in the sensory realm exists except as an example of the essence in the higher spiritual realm. Thus, the symbolic forms in the Quran are not merely rhetorical ornaments, but objective representations of a metaphysical reality that cannot be perceived by the senses [46]. Contemporary interpretations of al-Ghazali's epistemology affirm that al-khayal functions as a legitimate epistemic mediator, bridging sensory perception and higher metaphysical realities without reducing symbolic form to illusion or subjective fiction [47].

From his point of view, every verse has layers of meaning that are equally valid, as long as they are supported by strong arguments and do not negate divine teachings [46],[48]. The following diagram represents Al-Ghazali's epistemological hierarchy of the spirit in interpreting the metaphor in QS. Al-Nur :35.

Through this structure, it can be understood that: al-khaya lhas an important position, because it serves as an epistemic bridge between outward form and inner meaning, further transforming physical examples into aqli (rational) understanding, thereby maintaining the order of reasoning in meaning so that it does not collapse. Here, al-khayal(imagination) is not a source of falsehood, but rather a divine means of gradually conveying the essence of truth to humans [46]. From an epistemological perspective, al-Ghazali’s interpretative theory maintains that rational necessity and symbolic mediation operate together, ensuring coherence between sensory perception, imaginative representation, and intellectual apprehension without collapsing the hierarchy of meaning [49].

Thus, it can be understood that the representation of al-khayal (imagination) does not diminish the degree of truth, but rather elevates humans towards a meaningful understanding. Al-Ghazali asserts that the truth of the Quran is not only found in its literal layer, but also in its inner meaning [46],[50]. Thus, the inner meaning does not invalidate the outer meaning, nor do the truths of the verses contradict each other. As Al-Ghazali states:

الحق لاينكر بعضه ببعض

What is true does not invalidate what is also true [46].

Thus, the implication for the interpretation of stories in the Quran, even if the stories take the form of narratives and symbols, is that they are all rooted in the reality  of  malakut that actually occurred at a higher level of existence. This principle reflects al-Ghazali’s interative hermeneuthics, iin which rational, symbolic, and spiritual dimensions of meaning coexist without mutual negations, reinforcing a non reductionist structure of truth in Qur’anic interpretation[49].

This epistemological framework directly tests Muhammad Ahmad Khalafullah's qishshah tamthiliyyah approach. If Khalafullah assesses the imaginative elements in the stories of the Quran as persuasive aesthetic devices and not historical realities that must have occurred, then according to al-Ghazali, these metaphorical elements are a guarantee of the objectivity of the truth of revelation. Imagination is not a reason to deny the truth but a divine medium that allows metaphysical reality to be conveyed gradually in accordance with human cognitive capacity. Thus, al-Ghazali's approach does not reject the function of literature in the stories of the Quran, but corrects aesthetic reduction by returning it to the epistemological and ontological foundations of revelation.

Based on al-Ghazali's hierarchical epistemological framework, it can be seen that Khalafullah's criticism of the literary-historical approach is not directed at rejecting the literary value of the stories in the Quran, but rather at its tendency to reduce the status of revelatory truth to a mere rhetorical and pedagogical function. Khalafullah's approach to the stories of the Quran departs from the assumption that some of the stories of the Quran, especially those he categorizes as qishash tamthiliyyah, do not always reflect historical truth, but rather convey moral messages through the power of linguistic imagination. According to him, this type of story cannot be verified historically and functions as a narrative hypothesis that works through the power of linguistic imagination.

Within this framework, Khalafullah acknowledges the existence of al-khayal(imagination) in some of the stories in the Quran. However, he emphasizes that this imaginative element should not be understood as “God's fantasy,” but rather as a form of communication tailored to human psychological needs. Al-khayal(imagination), in his view, is deliberately presented so that the message of revelation can be understood by humans, given that imagination is one of the common and customary means of communication used by humans. Thus, imagination is positioned as a literary and pedagogical device, not as a representation of a particular ontological reality.

It is at this point that al-Ghazali's epistemology offers a more complex conceptual correction regarding the role of imagination (al-khayal). In Mishkat al-Anwar, al-Ghazali explains that reality is structured in levels, starting from the sensory realm (shahadah) to the transcendent realm (malakut). Al-khayal or imagination here functions as an epistemic instrument that bridges the two levels of reality. Everything in the realm of shahadah has a counterpart (example) in the realm of malakut, so that symbols and parables do not negate reality, but rather indicate the articulation of meaning at a higher level of existence[46].

Based on this framework, al-Ghazali's epistemology can be used to correct several assumptions in Khalafullah's approach as follows:

This epistemological stance is further substantiated by contemporary research concerning al-Ghazālī’s semiotic-sufi analysis of the Qur’an, with particular emphasis on his interpretation of the Light Verse (QS. al-Nūr [24]:35) as presented in Mishkāt al-Anwār. Such investigations underscore that, in al-Ghazālī’s perspective, symbolic language serves as an essential conduit for articulating spiritual truths that elude direct expression through empirical or strictly rational frameworks. The intrinsic connection between esoteric (bāṭin) and exoteric (ẓāhir) significances in his exegesis illustrates that symbolism does not undermine ontological veracity; rather, it enhances access to such truths in accordance with human cognitive and spiritual faculties. In this regard, imagination (al-khayāl) functions not merely as a fictional construct, but rather as an epistemological and spiritual conduit that retains the objectivity of revelation while facilitating its profound comprehension [51].

Through this epistemological framework, verses that Khalafullah understands as imaginative need not be treated as non-historical narratives, but rather as symbolic representations of a transcendent reality that has manifestations at the empirical level. Thus, the story of the dialogue between the angels and Adam (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 30-33), the incident of the birds being chopped up and Prophet Ibrahim (QS. Al-Baqarah [2]: 260), the story of the feud between the sons of Prophet Adam, Qabil and Habil (QS. Al-Maidah [5]: 28-31), and the story of the feast from heaven (QS. Al-Maidah [5]: 112-115) can be understood symbolically without losing their factuality, in accordance with al-Ghazali's hierarchy of reality.

In line with al-Ghazali, Jumhur scholars emphasize that the stories contained in the Qur'an are factual events that actually happened. Manna' al-Qat}t}an in Mabahith fi 'Ulum al-Qur'an provides a critical note on the tendency of Khalafullah to be overly influenced by modern literary studies, thereby positioning the stories of the Quran as if they were equivalent to fictional narratives[3]. Al-Qathtan's criticism reinforces the position that the imaginative elements in the Qur'an should not be understood as a substitute for reality, but rather as a meaningful bridge between the sensory realm and the transcendent realm. Thus, its non-historicity is only relevant to parables (amthal), not to the stories of the Prophets, which remain historical and rich in symbolic meaning.

From this critical analysis, several implications for contemporary Qur’anic studies can be drawn. This study demonstrates that literary and imaginative interpretations of Qur’anic narratives do not necessarily negate their ontological truth, provided that imagination (al-khayal) is situated within a hierarchical epistemological framework. By employing al-Ghazali’s conception of layered reality, this research offers an integrative perspective that helps reconcile literary approaches with theological commitments to the truth of revelation, thereby contributing to methodological discussions in modern Qur’anic interpretation.

Nevertheless, this study has certain limitations. The analysis is primarily theoretical and library-based, focusing on a textual comparison between Khalafullah and al-Ghazali without extending to a broader survey of exegetical traditions or empirical studies on the reception of Khalafullah’s ideas. In addition, this research concentrates mainly on prophetic narratives, leaving other Qur’anic genres such as legal discourse or eschatological descriptions outside its scope. Future research may build upon this framework by applying al-Ghazali’s epistemology of imagination to other modern Qur’anic interpreters or by examining how hierarchical conceptions of truth operate across different genres of Qur’anic discourse.