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Course Offerings

Course Details

Fall 2012-2013
* ARA 420  

The Language of the Qur'an

Hisham Mahmoud

For students who have a working foundation in the Arabic language - a vocabulary set of around 1500 words and a firm grasp of Arabic syntax. The course is structured around passages in the Qur'an and will expose students to the traditional disciplines of the Arabic language of the Qur'an and its ancillary sciences, i.e., exegesis, recitation, orthography, etymology, philology, morphology, and grammar. Supplementary materials will also include scholarly articles in Arabic and in English regarding the recensions of the Qur'an, their collection and standardization, the seven recitations of the Qur'an, and other related topics.

Sample reading list:
The Qur'an
al-Suyuti, al-Itqan fi `Ulum al-Qur'an
Richard Bell & W. Montgomery Watt, Bell's Introduction to the Qur'an
Ahmad Von Denffer, Ulum al-Qur'an
al-Hariri, Mulhat al-I`rab
Qutb, Sayyid, al-Taswir al-Fanni fi al-Qur'an

Reading/Writing assignments:
Each week one lesson of a classical grammar manual and one chapter of a textbook on the sciences of the Qur'an (15 pages of reading/week). The paper in lieu of the midterm is on a subject related to Qur'anic studies; write a 3 to 5 page paper in Arabic in which they will be assessed on their use of idioms, emphatic particles, declaratives, transitions and connectors, et cetera.

Requirements/Grading:
Paper in Lieu of Mid Term - 25%
Final Exam - 25%
Quizzes - 20%
Oral Presentation(s) - 20%
Other (See Instructor) - 10%

Prerequisites and Restrictions:
Completion of ARA 302 or instructor's permission.

Schedule/Classroom assignment:

Class numberSectionTimeDaysRoomEnrollmentStatus
22997 C01 10:00 am - 10:50 am M W F   Frist Campus Center   205   Enrolled:7 Limit:12