Informed by classical Arabic-Islamic rhetorical theory, the author examines Arabic documents attributed to the Abbasid Caliph al-Mam'un, whose rule coincided with the maturation of classical Islamic political thought and literary culture. Through strategic deployment of scriptural references within the logical scheme of rhetorical argument, the Caliph constructs moral analogies between paradigmatic characters in the Qur'an and people in his social milieu. The Mam'unid case study is indicative of the nature and function of Qur'anic referencing across historical periods, and thus contributes to broader conversations about the impact of the Qur'an on the shaping of Islamic civilization. This book is an invaluable resource for those with an interest in Early Islamic History, Islam and the rhetoric of contemporary Middle East regional and global Islamic politics.