Prof. K. Ali
Fall 2006
The Qur’an
CAS RN 340/640
MWF 12-1 pm; location: STH 113
Office Hours: M 10-12, W 9:30-10:30, or by appt. (145 Bay State Rd., Room 402)
Phone: 617-353-4465; Email: ka@bu.edu
Updated 09/06/06
Note: Email is the best way to reach me; I check it at least twice daily. For significant substantive
queries, plan to come to office hours or make an appointment by email to meet with me at another
time.
This course will introduce students to the sacred book of one fifth of the world’s population: the
Qur’an, believed by Muslims to have been revealed by God through the angel Gabriel to the Prophet
Muhammad in seventh century Arabia. The Qur’an has been declared “inimitable” by Muslim scholars
and its recitation can bring the faithful to tears; at the same time it is frequently deemed by non-Muslim
readers to be disjointed, repetitive, and hardly inspiring of sublime religious sentiment. This course will
explore the reasons for these divergent reactions to the Qur’an. Beginning with Muslim accounts of the
biography of Muhammad and the revelation of the Qur’an, we will proceed to look at the Qur’an in its
textual, exegetical, and experiential dimensions.
By the time the semester is complete, students should have an understanding of: traditional
Muslim accounts of the revelation and compilation of the Qur’an, as well as the challenges to this
narrative by contemporary critical scholarship; the importance of recitation in the Muslim experience of
scripture; the Qur’anic perspective on key themes such as God’s “Oneness,” creation, judgment, and the
afterlife; the traditional Muslim view of prophecy and the relationship between Muhammad and the preIslamic biblical prophets; the outlines of the Qur’anic teachings on jihad and relations with non-Muslims,
as well as the ways in which these teachings have been interpreted by classical and modern exegetes; and
historical and modern interpretations of crucial verses relating to women and the family, both
conservative and feminist.
Readings:
It is vital that you come to class having read the assigned texts, as classroom lectures and discussions will
build on this material, not repeat it.
The following books are available for purchase at the bookstore. Additionally, copies have been placed on
two-hour reserve at the library. Other assigned readings will be available online via CourseInfo
(http://courseinfo.bu.edu/courses/06fallgrsrn640_a1).
The Koran, English/Arabic. N.J. Dawood, translator. Penguin, 1991. ISBN: 9780140445428
Michael Sells, Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations. White Cloud Press;
Edition: Book & CD edition 1999. ISBN: 1883991269
Farid Esack, The Qur’an: A User’s Guide. Oneworld Publications, 2005 ISBN: 1851683542
Hamid Algar, Surat al-Fatiha. Islamic Publications International, 1998
ISBN: 1889999008
Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Qur’an. Biblioteca, 1989, second edition
ISBN: 0882970461
Asma Barlas, “Believing Women” in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the
Qur’an. University of Texas Press, 2002. ISBN: 0292709048
Amina Wadud, Qur’an and Woman. Oxford University Press, 1999. ISBN: 0195128362
(Recommended)
Note: Bring your Qur'an to each class session. Though knowledge of Arabic is in no way a prerequisite
for this course, those students who have the ability may consult the parallel Arabic text in the Dawood
translation. For supplementary reading outside of class, http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/ is an
excellent online resource, containing three different English translations of the Qur'an. It is searchable by
keyword, and can provide an alternate version of difficult passages.
You will also find listening assignments for some weeks. Some are found on the CD included with Sells,
Approaching the Qur'an, while others are accessible online as MP3 files and can be found through the
links in this syllabus.
Assignments and grading:
There are four components to your grade: attendance/participation; a midterm; two short papers; and a
final exam.
Attendance at all class sessions is necessary, because lectures will cover materials not in the class
readings. Participation in discussions and in-class exercises is also an important element in this course.
Together, attendance and participation will account for 10% of your grade. Please note that even if you
miss a class session for a valid reason you are expected to obtain notes from a classmate, as you will still
be responsible for any material covered or announcements given.
Midterm: An in-class mid-term examination will account for 20% of your grade.
Short papers: This course will have two 5 page papers (7-8 pages for graduate students), worth 20% of
your grade each. The first will compare the biblical and Qur’anic treatments of the Joseph story. The
second will cover the textual history of the Qur’an. More specific guidelines for these papers will be
distributed and posted online as noted below. Students are encouraged to come to office hours to discuss
thesis statements and outlines for papers.
Final exam: Worth 30% of your grade, it will be held according to the University schedule.
Policy on Late Work and Incompletes:
Late work will be penalized by one complete letter grade for each day overdue including weekends and
holidays. Please note that electronic submission of papers is not allowed. Extensions will be granted only
in exceptional circumstances, and in no case after the original deadline for completion has passed.
Students who anticipate difficulty in meeting deadlines should contact me as far in advance of the due
date as possible. A course grade of incomplete will only be granted for compelling reasons. Make-up
examinations will be scheduled in accordance with university policy.
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Academic integrity, plagiarism, and independent work:
Every student is expected to be familiar with and comply with the BU policy on academic
integrity, which can be found at: http://www.bu.edu/cas/undergraduate/conductcode.html. I will
refer any suspected case of academic misconduct to the Dean’s Office. Any assignment judged,
after a hearing by the Academic Conduct panel, to be plagiarized will receive a grade of “0.”
We will discuss plagiarism and independent work in class.
Helpful resources about proper use of sources can be found many places online. Dartmouth
College’s page on source usage (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/contents.html), especially
“What is plagiarism?” (http://www.dartmouth.edu/~sources/about/what.html), is a good place to
begin.
For guidance as to how best to use sources during your writing, see the Harvard University guide
to “Writing with Sources” (http://www.fas.harvard.edu/%7Eexpos/sources/) and the Purdue
University Online Writing Lab (OWL) guide to “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing”
(http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_quotprsum.html).
Disabilities:
In accordance with University policy, a student who requires accommodation for a documented disability
of any type should see me immediately to discuss modifications to course requirements.
Class sessions:
Wednesday 9/6 - Introduction
Friday 9/8 Recite! The origins of prophecy
Read: Qur’an, 96:1-5; Esack, pp. 1-55.
Monday 9/11 Rhythm and revelation
Read: Esack, pp. 56-77; Sells, Approaching the Qur’an, 1-28, 145-50; Listen to: Sells CD, Tracks 5, 10,
13, 18, 26, 29.
Wednesday 9/13 Meccan verses: Divine judgment; divine signs
Read: Sells, Approaching, pp. 44-141 (includes translations). Listen to: Sells CD, Tracks 3, 4, 6-9, 11,
12, and 14-17.
Friday 9/15 Divine unity
Read: Qur'an, S. 53:1-18, S. 81-114; Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Qur’an, 1-79
Monday 9/18 Human obligation
Read: Esack, pp. 146-90.
Wednesday 9/20 Key concepts: Iqra’ revisited
Read: Q. S. 96; Listen to: S. 96 at http://www.shaplus.com/free-quran-software/quran-mp3software/QuranReciter/quran-mp3.htm
Friday 9/22 Al-Fatiha (the opening chapter) and its interpretation
Read: Qur'an, S. 1; Sells, Approaching, pp. 42-3, 156-7; Hamid Algar, Surat al-Fatiha: Foundation of
the Qur’an, 1-43. Listen to: Sells CD, Tracks 2, 23, 33.
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Monday 9/25 Tafsir: The exegetical enterprise
Read: Esack, pp. 120-145; Qur'an, S. 12
(Guidelines for Paper 1 distributed)
Wednesday 9/27: Commentary on Surat Yusuf
Read: Maududi's introduction to S. 12, http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/maududi/mau12.html;
Mustansir Mir, "Irony in the Qur'an: A Study of the Story of Joseph" (from Issa J. Boullata, ed., Literary
Structures of Religious Meaning in the Qur'an, Surrey: Curzon, 2000) pp. 173-87 (CourseInfo); and Mir,
"The Qur'anic Story of Joseph: Plot, Themes, and Characters," http://www.islamicawareness.org/Quran/Q_Studies/Mirjoseph.html.
Friday 9/29: Comparing Bible and Qur’an
Read: Genesis 37, 39-47 (http://www.bibleontheweb.com/Bible.asp or another edition); : Barbara
Stowasser, "The Chapter of Zulaykha," pp. 50-6 (CourseInfo).
Additional graduate student readings: Sufia Uddin, "A Mystical Journey or a Misogynist Assault?"
(CourseInfo), Fedwa Malti-Douglas, selections from Woman’s Body, Woman’s Word (CourseInfo)
Monday 10/2 (NO CLASS – EID AL-FITR)
Wednesday 10/4: Prophets in History
Read: Rahman 80-131, Q. S. 10, 11, 13-18, 20-21
Friday 10/6: Mary, Mother of Jesus
Read Q. S. 3, S. 19; Listen to Surah 19, "Maryam" at http://www.shaplus.com/free-quransoftware/quran-mp3-software/QuranReciter/quran-mp3-4.htm.
Monday 10/9 (NO CLASS – HOLIDAY)
Tuesday 10/10 MAKE-UP class: Revelation and prophecy considered
(Paper 1 due at beginning of class)
No new readings; we will tie up any loose ends from previous sessions.
Wednesday 10/11: Madinan revelation: community life and family life
Read: Q. S. 2; selections from al-Tabari's commentary (CourseInfo).
Friday 10/13: Madinan revelation: community life and family life
Read: Q. S. 4:1-105
Monday 10/16 Madinan revelation: community life and family life
Read: Q. S. 9; S. 47-48; selections from Taha, The Second Message of Islam (CourseInfo).
Wednesday 10/18 MIDTERM
Friday 10/20: Categories of non-Muslims
Read: Qur’an, S. 4:105-176, S. 5; Rahman, Major Themes, Appendix I and II, pp. 150-170.
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Monday 10/23 Relations with non-Muslims
Read: Helmut Gatje, The Qur’an and its Exegesis, pp. 133-45, 212-4 (CourseInfo); Jane Dammen
McAuliffe, Qur'anic Christians: An Analysis of Classical and Modern Exegesis, 1-9, 129-79
(CourseInfo).
Wednesday 10/25 Intermarriage
No new readings.
Friday 10/27: Interreligious conflict: Jihad
Read: reread Q. 2:190-194. Read commentaries (Tafsir al-Jalalayn and Tanwir al-Miqbas fi Tafsir Ibn
‘Abbas) on these verses at www.altafsir.com; find another commentary online, read and bring your notes
(along with the URL) to class.
Monday 10/30: Competing views of Muslims in the world
No new readings.
Wednesday 11/1: Dress and modesty
Read: First read Qur’an, S. 24:30-31; 33:53; and 33:59, then go back and read S. 24 and S. 33 in their
entirety.
Friday 11/3: Dress and modesty in commentaries
Read: “Women’s Modesty in Qur’anic Commentaries: The Founding Discourse,” by Soraya HajjajiJarrah (pp. 181-213) (CourseInfo)
Monday 11/6: Feminist approaches to the Qur'an 1
Read: Asma Barlas, “Amina Wadud’s Hermeneutics of the Qur’an,” pp. 97-123 (CourseInfo);
Recommended, Amina Wadud, Qur’an and Woman, entire book
Wednesday 11/8 Feminist approaches to the Qur'an 2
Read: Barlas, selections from Believing Women in Islam: Unreading Patriarchal Interpretations of the
Text.
Friday 11/10 NO CLASS
Monday 11/13: Feminist approaches to the Qur'an 3
Read: Amina Wadud, selections from Inside the Gender Jihad (CourseInfo).
(Guidelines for Paper 2 distributed)
Wednesday 11/15: The compilation of the text and current critical scholarship
Read: Read first three sections at http://www.uga.edu/islam/quran.html; Esack pp. 18-99
Friday 11/17: Competing perspectives on Qur’anic history
Read: Ahmed von Dennfer, Ulum al-Qur’an, Chapter 2, pp. 31-66, The Koran, pp. 119-140
(CourseInfo); Lester, “What is the Koran?” pp. 107-25 (CourseInfo)
Additional graduate student readings: Burton, “The Collection of the Qur’an,” pp. 59-117
(CourseInfo); Brockett, “The Value of the Hafs and Warsh Transmissions,” pp. 33-45 (CourseInfo)
Monday 11/20: (NO CLASS – AAR Conference)
Wednesday 11/22 (NO CLASS – HOLIDAY)
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Friday 11/24 (NO CLASS – HOLIDAY)
Monday 11/27: Historicity of the Qur’anic text
No new readings.
Wednesday 11/29: Qur’an as living text
Read: William Graham, Beyond the Written Word: Oral Aspects of Scripture in the History of Religion,
pp. 79-115 (CourseInfo).
(Paper 2 due at beginning of class.)
Friday 12/1: Qur’an education in the modern world
Read: Denny, “Qur’an Recitation in Indonesia,” pp. 288-306 (CourseInfo).
Monday 12/4: Revisiting recitation
Listen to: S. 36, Ya-Sin, at http://www.shaplus.com/free-quran-software/quran-mp3software/QuranReciter/quran-mp3-3.htm.
Wednesday 12/6: TBD
Friday 12/8: TBD
Monday 12/11 TBD
Final (scheduled between 12/15 and 12/20)
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