IS 6431 S6: Studies in the Qur'an

 

Semester:                   Spring 2008 (Second half)

Time:                          Tuesday: 1:10-4:00 p.m.

Room:                         Northwestern Hall 232

Professor:                   Dr. Charles Amjad-Ali

Office:                         210 F Northwestern Hall, ext. (641-3)523

Office hours:               Wednesday 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.

By Appointment at extension 523 or camjad@luthersem.edu

 

Course Objectives

 

  1. That students understand what the Qur’an is, its basic makeup and some sense of its flow and structure.

 

  1. That students get a proper sense of the Qur’an’s place for Muslims in their life, theology, imagination and piety. Through this we will also begin to think in new ways about the place of the Bible for the Christian.

 

  1. That we learn to approach the study of another’s scripture in a way that is respectful, open and humble, while at the same time genuinely curious to learn about the foundational sources and aspects of the other’s faith and being always alert to questions of import to Muslims and Christians.

 

  1. That we learn something of the history of exegesis, interpretation and hermeneutics of the Qur'an, and become aware of the vigorous discussions that are being carried on within the Muslim community today on many contemporary issues, especially those relating to how one lives with the sacred text which has some deep significance for one’s life.

 

  1. That the entire enterprise is carried out in a prayerful attitude, and that the classroom atmosphere is such that a conversation between Christian and Islamic convictions and concerns is welcomed.

 

  1. That students gain competence in reading the Qur'an (in English interpretation/ translation), and come to grasp some of the major teachings and themes of the Qur'an.

 

Expectation, Assignments and Grading

 

1.     Students are expected to attend lectures and discussions regularly, this is critical since the over all time we have is so brief.

 

2.     Students are expected to keep up with the reading assignments and participate actively in discussions.

 

3.     In the reading, the first requirement will be to read entire suras from the Qur’an. The suras assigned are specifically chosen to illustrate the particular topic under discussion of particular sessions, but they are also to give us experience to read connected passages and to provide some context rather than picking random and/or isolated verses.

 

This will count for 20% of the grades.

 

4.     Each student will prepare one individual papers dealing with the Qur’anic text assigned and under consideration on a given day. These papers are to be no more than 2 double-spaced pages and are to be handed over to the professor (by 5:00 p.m. latest on Mondays) before their respective session in the class. The idea behind the first individual evaluative paper is to give an opportunity to each student to assess critically the Qur’anic text under consideration, point out the highlights, and issues of interest, and to give some critical opinion on them, including comparative ones in light of her/his Christian opinion.

 

This part of the requirement constitutes 30% of the course.

 

5.     There will be a final paper of 8-10 double spaced pages which may deal with any of the issues we have already covered during this course and developed further from other readings and through your own personal theological perspective.

These papers are due on May 16 latest, except for the graduating students for whom it is due on May 14 at 9:00 a.m. because their grades are due on May 16 at 9:00 a.m. for their graduation requirement. These dates are not negotiable.

 

This part of the requirement constitutes 50% of the course.

 

Bibliography:

 

Required text:

An Interpretation of the Qur'an: English Translation of the Meanings, A Bilingual Edition, translated by Majid Fakhry (New York: New York University Press, 2004)

 

Farid Esack, Qur'an Liberation and Pluralism, paperback (OneWorld Publication) 

 

 

Course Outline:

Week 1

April 8:      Syllabus and personal Introductions

 

 

Week 2

April 15:    God

                  Esack, Qur’an, Liberation, pp. 49-113

 

 

1.      _____________________________________

 

 

2.       _____________________________________

 

 

3.      ____________________________________________

 

 

Week 3

April 22:    Satan and Evil

                        Esack, Qur’an, Liberation, pp. 114-178

 

1.      _____________________________________

 

 

2.      _____________________________________

 

 

3.      _____________________________________

 

 

Week 4

April 29:    Revelation and Prophet-ness

                  Esack, Qur’an, Liberation, pp. 179-253

 

1.    _____________________________________

 

 

2.      ______________________________________

 

 

3.      ______________________________________

 

 

Week 5

May 6:      Human being in Community and Individually

Esack, Qur’an, Liberation, pp. 254-272

 

1.       _____________________________________

 

 

2.       _____________________________________

 

 

3.  _____________________________________

 

 

Week 6

May 13:    The People of the Book and Diversity of Religions

 

1.       _____________________________________

 

 

2.       _____________________________________

 

 

3.      ______________________________________

 

 

Some helpful resources:

 

1.      Issa J. Boullata, ed., Literary Structures of Religious Meaning in the Qur’an (Richmond Surrey, UK: Curzon Press, 2000)

 

A fascinating collection of relatively recent essays. Those of Zahniser, Welch, and Mir are of special significance.

 

2.      Andrew Rippin, ed., The Qur'an: Style and Contexts, in the series The Formation of the Classical Islamic World, 24 (Aldershot: Ashgate Variorum, 2001)

 

This is a collection of some of the most significant essays on the style and content of the Qur’an to have appeared in Western publications over the past 70 or so years. The contributions of Robinson, Lichtenstaedter, Bijlefeld and Brown are of special significance.

 

3. Charles J. Adams, “Qur’an: The Text and History,” Mahmoud M. Ayyoub, “Quran: Its Role in Muslim Piety,” and Andrew Rippin, “Tafsir,” all found in The Encyclopedia of Religion, for more details see below.

 

Secondary texts:

 

3.      W. Montgomery Watt, Bell’s Introduction to the Qur’an (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1970)

 

Besides containing some very helpful material it has very useful appendices (Tables for Converting verse numbers, table of suras, Index to the Qur’an).

 

4.      Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Qur’an (Minneapolis: Bibliotheca Islamica, 1980)

 

An exceptional book that gives insight not only into the Qur’anic message but also into the thought of one of the greatest Muslim scholars of the 20th Century

 

5.      Kenneth Cragg, Reading in the Qur’an (London and San Francisco: Collins 1988).

 

Very helpful: Cragg translated much of the Qur’an and arranges it by theme. If you want to know what the Qur’an says about Jesus or one of the other Messengers/Prophets you will find it here.

 

6.      Kenneth Cragg, The Qur’an and the West (Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press, 2005)

 

This is a fascinating reading of the Qur’an and its role in Western thought and current crisis.

 

7.      Michael Sells, Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations (Ashland, Oregon: White Cloud Press, 1999).

 

A very good English translation of the early revelations of the Qur’an, with helpful commentary. At the very least read the introduction.

 

8.      M.A. Abdel Haleem, Understanding the Qur'an: Themes and Style (London: I.B. Taurus, 1999).

 

This useful introduction, by a professor at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London (SOAS), offers a moderate Muslim interpretation of the Qur’an’s teaching on a number of areas of interest, e.g., marriage and divorce, war and peace, tolerance, paradise, etc.

 

9.      Farid Esack, The Qur’an: A Short Introduction (Oxford: Oneworld 2002)

 

A stimulating and insightful text by a South African “progressive Muslim” scholar who was involved in the anti-apartheid struggle.

 

Secondary Reference texts (all the following texts will be on reserve or in the Reference Section of the Library):

 

Arthur Arberry (translation), The Koran Interpreted (New York: Touchstone, 1996)

 

Originally published in 1956, some consider it a good translation, but it suffers from being authored by an orientalist in the classical tradition, therefore as late as 1956 he was still using their language of Koran.

 

Abdullah Yusuf Ali (trans.), The Qur’an: Translation, 8th edition (Elmhurst, NY Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, 2001)

 

Originally published in 1934 in India, and now widely distributed by Muslims. The edition with parallel English and Arabic texts and extensive notes in useful (and available); a copy will be on Reserve.

 

N.J. Dawood (trans.), The Qur’an: With a parallel Arabic Text (London and New York: Penguin Books, 1993 [1964]).

 

A very readable translation by an Iraqi Jew: the “Good News for Modern Man” of Qur’an translation.

 

Marmaduke Pickthall (trans.), The Glorious Qur’an: Arabic Text and English Rendering (Des Plaines, IL: Library of Islam, 1994 [1930]).

 

Reference tools in the Library:

1.      The Encyclopedia of Islam, new Edition (DS37.E5 Ref)

 

A basic resource, but it is massive and complex. Entries are arranged alphabetically by Arabic word in English transliteration. A supplemental Index of Subjects volume provides some navigational help; there you can look up an English term and get a list of relevant articles.

 

2.      The Encyclopedia of Religion (ed. Mircea Eliade) (BL 31 .E36 Ref)

 

This contains many excellent articles on Islamic Topics. For our purpose note: Charles J. Adams, “Qur’an: The Text and History”; Mahmoud M. Ayyoub, “Quran: Its Role in Muslim Piety”; and Andrew Rippin, “Tafsir.”

 

3.      The Encyclopedia of the Qur’an (ed. Jane Dammen McAuliffe) (BP 133 .E52 Ref)

 

Three volumes are now out (though the letter O). Unlike the Encyclopedia of Islam, entries are alphabetical by English words. A treasure trove of material that I have just begun to explore, so please feel free to point out thing you find helpful!

 

4.      Hanna E. Kassis, A Concordance of the Qur’an (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1983) (BP133 .K27 Ref.)

 

A concordance to the Arberry translation. While the entries are arranged according to Arabic words in the English transliteration, an index allows one to look up the English words and find the appropriate entry, thus allowing one to do word studies without knowing any Arabic!