English 297 - The Qur'ān As Literature

(Offered as RELI-280 and ENGL-297)

An exploration of the rich literary content and character of the Qur’an. We will study the Qur’an’s literary qualities, including style, structure, unity, and eloquence, and we will study the Qur’an’s protagonists, including the Biblical and Arabian prophets, and its narratives and themes. Further, we will try to understand the ways that the Qur’an violates rules of unity, harmony, and try to make sense of its abrupt changes of subject matter, interruptions or lack of continuities, and miscellaneous fragments by finding unity, coherence, and intelligibility in them.

The inevitable question of how the Qur’an engages with the Biblical narratives and themes and how such pre-existent materials can help us interpret the Qur’an are just two of our areas of inquiry, but there are others too: Is the Quran prose or poetry? How can our analysis of the Qur’an as literature help us understand its religious meaning and message, including its conception of history, and its ideas of transcendent esoteric wisdom?

The course covers the full trajectory of literary approaches to the Qur’an from roughly the ninth century until the present. We will begin by comparing the Qur’an to the most eloquent poetry of Ancient Arabia and end by analyzing the works of contemporary women interpreters of the Qur’an. No prerequisites. First year students are welcome.

Spring 2025. Professor Jaffer. 

How to handle overenrollment: null

Students who enroll in this course will likely encounter and be expected to engage in the following intellectual skills, modes of learning, and assessment: Emphasis on written work, readings, and oral presentations.