Qur'an and Hadith Studies Part A
Key information
- Start date
- End date
- Year of study
- Year 1 or Year 2
- Duration
- Term 1
- Module code
- 15PNMH055
- FHEQ Level
- 7
- Credits
- 15
Module overview
The Qur’an serves not only as the foundational text of Islam, but also as the pre-eminent literary masterpiece of the Arabic language. With the aim of situating the text of the Qur’an within its historical and literary contexts, Part A of this module is aggregated around a percipient gauging of the discourses dominating the academic study of the Qur’an. Broaching the study of the text through a critical array of Arabic primary sources, the subjects and themes covered in the module include the Qur'an's language, structure, and composition; and thematic content. Additionally, a representative sample of the texts and treatises produced within the confines of the commentary tradition is also examined. The study of the materials of hadith features in Part B of this module.
Prerequisites
Given that this is essentially a text-based module, it is expected that students should be able to read and comprehend classical Arabic material.
Objectives and learning outcomes of the module
- Situate the Qur'an within its historical context and setting
- Identify and gauge the distinct compositional and thematic elements of the Qur'an
- Appreciate the Qur'an's dynamic impact as a literary text across a range of classical intellectual discourses
- Acquire a critical awareness of the scholarly debates and discussions which have informed the academic study of the Qur'an
- Develop critical tools for the advanced study of Arabic Islamic literary materials
Workload
Total of 10 weeks teaching with 2 hours classroom contact per week consisting of a 1 hour lecture and a 1 hour seminar.
Scope and syllabus
Selected topics include:
- Introducing scholarly discussions on the nature of the Qur'an with reference to the doctrine of the text's inimitability
- Thematic and stylistic features of the Qur'an: the application of Makkan and Madinan paradigms
- Juridical elements in the Qur'an: the interplay which defines non-legal materials in the Qur'an and the juridical elements contained therein
- The Concept of naskh and its historical development
- The Function of Qasas (stories) in the Qur'an; similarities and differences between Biblical sources and the Qur’an regarding the Story of Joseph
- Discourses surrounding the concept of coherence and its historical development
Method of assessment
- 20% - PowerPoint presentation (10-12 minutes)
- 80% - Essay (2500 words)
- The exact assessment deadline dates are published on the relevant module Moodle/BLE page
Suggested reading
Bibliography
- Archer, George Maria Massi Dakake, and Daniel A. Madigan. Routledge Companion to the Qur'an. New York: Routledge, 2021.
- Badawi, El-Said, and M.A.S Abdel Haleem. Arabic-English Dictionary of Qur'anic Usage. Leiden: Brill, 2008.
- Blair, Sheila. Islamic Calligraphy. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.
- Ernst, Carl W. How to Read the Qurʼan: A New Guide, With Select Translations. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2011.
- Hamza, Feras, Sajjad H. Rizvi, and Farhana Mayer. An Anthology of Qur'anic Commentaries: On the Nature of the Divine. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008.
- McAuliffe, Jane (ed). Encyclopaedia of the Qurʾān, ed. Leiden : E.J. Brill, 2001. 6 vols.
- McAuliffe, J (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to the Qur’an. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.
- Nasser, Shady. Second Canonization Of The Qurʾān: Ibn Mujāhid And The Founding Of The Seven Readings. Brill, 2019.
- Nasr, Seyyed Hossein (ed.) with C. Dagli, M. Dakake, J. Lumbard and M. Rustom, assistant
- The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary.
- New York : HarperOne 2015.
- Neuwirth, Angelika, Nicolai Sinai, and Michael Marx. The Qur’an in Context: Historical and Literary Investigations into the Qur’anic Milieu. Edited by Netherlands: E.J. Brill, 2010.
- Rippin, Andrew, and J. A. Mojaddedi. The Wiley Blackwell Companion to the Qur'an. Second edition. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2017.
- Rippin, Andrew (ed.). The Qur’an : Style and Contents. Aldershot : Variorum, 2001.
- Shah, Mustafa and M. A. Abdel Haleem. The Oxford Handbook of Qurʼanic Studies. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020.
- Sinai, Nicolai. The Qur'an: A Historical-critical Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2017.
- Sinai, Nicolai. Key Terms of the Qur'an: A Critical Dictionary. Princeton University Press, 2023.
- Wansbrough, John. Quranic Studies: Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretation.
- Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1977.
- Watt, M., Introduction to the Qurʾān, R. Bell’s introduction Revised by Watt, W.M., Islamic Surveys. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 1994.
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