ARAB 320 - Quranic Arabic

Credits: 4

Perhaps the most venerated book in human history, the Quran remains a challenging text for both the Arab and non-Arab reader. This course will focus on the text of the Quran in the original Arabic, with attention to vocabulary, tropes and expressions, grammar (syntax and morphology), and rhetoric. Selections from commentaries produced in the classical and modern periods as well as secondary sources written by western scholars will be consulted, but the main text will be the Quran itself, in particular the chapters attributed to the Meccan period, as well as sections and verses dealing with major themes of the Quran such as the nature of God and the nature of man. Offered regularly every other year. Prerequisites: ARAB 204. This course is chiefly aimed for advanced students in Arabic Studies. Students who have prior knowledge of Quranic Arabic or are heritage speakers of Arabic may also enroll if approved by the instructor.