The Qur'an's original addressees must have been familiar with earlier Jewish and Christian traditions, which the Qur'an claims both to "confirm" and to "clarify".  Narratives about Abraham and the death of Pharaoh serve to exemplify what this means.

The Qur'an as literature

Dr Nicolai Sinai, Professor of Islamic Studies at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, presents this mini-series of four brief talks that introduces central aspects of current research dealing with the historical context and literary character of the scripture of Islam.