Intro to the Qur'an Ross Final Study Guide

Exegesis-

INTERPRETATION, English term meaning "to lead out", meaning is left out of the text. Exegesis means interpretation.

Halal

what is permissible or unlawful under Islamic law. Often used to describe food products.

Why is it helpful to know the historical context of a particular Qur'anic verse when interpreting it?

Tells you what an ambiguous reference might refer to. Helps determine the meaning of an ambiguous reference in a particular verse. In other words, it gives you more context to help determine a particular verse's meaning.

According to the Qur'an, was Jesus crucified and killed on the cross? Explain three possible interpretations of the Qur'anic verses on this question. Be sure to cite an important phrase from the Qur'an that bears on this question in your answer. For the final exam, but not for a quiz, please also discuss the value that an intertextual approach can bring to answering this question.

- "they did not kill him, nor did they crucify him" - 3 interpretations: o Substitution theory: "They did not slay him but it looked like it" Jesus was no crucified. Someone else was and people thought that person was Jesus. Maybe Judas. o Jesus lost consciousness but did not die. "They slew him not for certain" o Jesus did die and was crucified (according to modern day sophisticated intertextuality) Romans did it. Jesus' soul was taken by God before natural death.

What challenges do the Qur'an's guidelines on looking at the opposite gender present for modern Muslims today?

- Advertising- can't control what pops up - Movies- 99% of it is fine and then there is a sex scene - Not supposed to show your private areas to other members of the same gender. Ex: locker rooms in America would be a problem.

1. List examples of one Arab prophet and the people he was sent to (other than Muhammad) and three non-Arab prophets and the people they were sent to, according to the Qur'an.

- Arab: Hud sent to the people of Ad (Yemen) - Non-Arab: o Moses to Israelites o Jesus to Israelites o Abraham to people of Mecca

Which group(s) of ancient Christians were closest in their Christology [their understanding of who Jesus was/is] to that of the Qur'an? Explain.

- Ebionites (Jewish Christians)- Believe Jesus is human not divine, called to follow Jewish law. However, one problem is they thought Jesus was the son of Joseph, which the Quran does not say.

Describe the state of stories about biblical figures in Arabia during Muhammad's life time (a period sometimes referred to as "Late Antiquity"). How did these stories circulate? Who told them? Was the Bible translated into Arabic yet? Discuss the state of the evidence for an Arabic Bible translation in Muhammad's day (Griffith).

- Evidence suggests that the bible was not translated into Arabic during Muhammad's lifetime (orally however they were). - The stories circulate orally - Most likely to be told by storytellers or friends/family

What are some reasons Muslim women give for why they wear hijab?

- Focuses men's attention to women's ideas rather than their bodies. Viewed as human beings rather than objects. - Protection - Security - Increases love and sex from their husband

Discuss both the standard Muslim explanation and skeptical revisionist interpretations

- God gave multiple versions of the Quran to accommodate dialects - The variations are occassional minor differences in vowels and consonants, and rarely whole words. Differences don't involve sentences or paragraphs; they are at the word level. Not significant for meaning. - Most common variations: different verb conjugation, word is plural instead of singular and vice versa - How common: occasional. Affects about 700 out of 77, 400 words in the Quran. - Not very significant for meaning - Origin of these variations: Traditional/Standard Muslim Interpretation: § Variations in the Quran's transmission are all from God because God wanted to make it easier for Arabs speaking different dialects to pronounce the text § Different pronunciation help clarify the meaning of the text § There are multiple authoritative versions of the text o Skeptical revisionist interpretation (outsider): § Ensures that only people who memorized it can interpret it/speak on its behalf § Arabic in Muhammad's day was written without vowels, and without dots to differentiate consonants. Therefore, Muslims may have guessed what words meant. § Quran was written this way as a memory-aid only § Muslims didn't perfectly memorize the Quran

How did Muslims define a "good" interpretation of the Qur'an that uncovers its "true" meaning? That is, how did they think a sincere believer could be guided by the Qur'an, rather than manipulating it?

- Good interpretation compares well to other verses and goes along with the Sunnah and outside sources. - Interpretation by transmitted tradition, reason, and spiritual inspiration - Sincere believer: If you make it a point to follow "good" interpretations (engage all the sources by a qualified interpreter, using established methods) you will be guided—youre submitting to reasonable due-diligence interpretations of the text, not just how you feel.

What are some of the challenges of translating the Qur'an into English? List and explain at least five challenges

- Hard to translate accurately and preserve rhymes and rhythm (or other sound effects) - Grammar in Arabic encodes things it can't capture in English - Words in different languages rarely have exact equivalence, words can have multiple meanings and the translations may not have those same multiple meanings. - Every translation is an interpretation. In order to translate a text, you have to first decide what it means. - Sometimes hard to determine what a pronoun is referring to, which can change the meaning.

Explain the statement, "Every translation is an interpretation." Give an example of a word or phrase from the Qur'anic text that can be translated in multiple ways and explain why.

- In order to translate a text, you have to first interpret its meaning and what it is trying to say. No translation is exactly right because it is not the same language, therefore, must first determine its meaning. - Example is the term naziat in the Qur'an which literally means "by those who yank" and it has different interpretations one being that a horse tail is being yanked or souls are yanked out by angels

What guidelines does the Qur'an give regarding looking at the opposite gender? Discuss key terms and phrases in the Qur'anic text itself

- Lower the gaze, do not check people out. - Don't look lustfully at someone o "men lower their glances and guard their private parts"

What lines of evidence have led most academic scholars to argue that the Qur'anic text we have today dates to the seventh century CE?

- Radiocarbon dating proved that over 95% is older than 660 CE. - Theological debates in the 8th and 9th centuries but there are no trace of them in the Qur'an - Ancient words in the Qur'an

What are the religious implications of the Qur'anic version for Muslims? Explain at least two major implications for issues such as the nature of women, the question of evolution, and the means of salvation.

- Means of salvation: in the Quran, they repent after they eat and are forgiven by God and no sin is passed down so no need for salvation. In the Bible, they eat and have sin and Christ saves them on the cross. - Nature of women: women are presented as equal to men. In the Quran, it doesn't say who ate from the tree first and Adam and Eve share the blame for eating from the tree. However, in the Bible, Eve is blamed for the sin because she ate from the tree first. Women are shown as weaker than men and untrustable. In addition to this, there is no mention of how Eve is created, whereas the Bible mentions that Eve is created from Adam's rib. This insinuates that women are a 2nd derivative to men

Describe the process by which many Muslims today study and become licensed to orally transmit the Qur'an to others.

- Memorize the Qur'an, learn Tajwid, to be certified receive a diploma, you must recite the Qur'an from memory to someone who has an ijaza and an an isnad dating back to the prophet

How did Muslim jurists seek to adapt the Qur'an's message, initially given to Muhammad's community in seventh-century Arabia, to new times and places?

- New thing treated like something discussed in the Quran or Hadith. Steps used are reference a known case, reference the new case, ruling on the known case, trigger that causes that ruling, and the wisdom/goal of that ruling. - Reference the goals of Sharia - Put into place the Qiyas, which allows the rules of the Quran to continuously be adapted to new circumstances

How common are these variations, and how significant are they for the meaning of the text? What is the range of opinions on the origin of these variations?

- Not very common. Strongly attested ones affect about 1% of the text and they are not very specific for meaning. They are not whole paragraphs.

Explain the origin and nature of the Variant Readings of the Qur'an (qira'at): What types of variations exist in the oral transmissions of the Qur'an?

- Occasional minor differences in vowels and consonants, and rarely whole words. Each has an isnad.

How are the unique aspects of the Qur'an's version consistent with its own larger understanding of what God is like, what prophets are like, and the nature of humanity?

- Prophets are role models - Adam and Eve blame themselves in the Quran because the Quran understands prophets to be role models. In keeping with that, they accept responsibility. - Humanity is forgetful- Adam ate because he forgot. - God is forgiving- God forgives them for eating the fruit in the Quran.

Discuss how Muslim scholars sought to deal with the problem of multiple interpretations of the same Qur'anic verse

- Reached the consensus that all legitimate differences of opinion from a sound scholar should be respected. Agree to disagree. Leads to a more tolerant view overall.

Give an overview of the history of the Qur'an as a written text: How much of the Qur'an had been written down during the Prophet's lifetime? How did the first official edition come about? What steps did Muslims take over the centuries to more fully capture its spoken form?

- Reports that the entire Qur'an was written during the prophet's lifetime, but not in a specific spot or space. Wrote down in fragmentation on parchment and animal bones and rocks. Later compiled and compared with what people remembered - How did the first official edition come about? In the 650s with Uthman 3rd caliph, he is worried about arguments amongst the Muslims about the pronunciation of the Quran. he orders the creation of a master copy done by a committee. - What steps did Muslims take over the centuries to more fully capture its spoken form? Aswad created a system of textual markers to indicate the correct grammatical endings of words and a system of dots was developed

Discuss the rules of engagement given in the Qur'an and hadiths. Which categories of individuals may not be targeted? How do terrorists nonetheless justify attacking civilians?

- Rules of engagement: cant target noncombatants/innocent people. - Can't kill women, children, elderly, sick, monks, etc. - Terrorist justification: yes cant kill civilians, but if they kill our civilians, we can kill theirs. They also say that America doesn't have civilians so everyone is a legitimate target because America is a democracy and we voted on the leaders that authorized wars that kill innocent people of the Muslim world.

How is Muhammad similar to and different from the other prophets sent by God according to the Qur'an?

- Similar: all messengers, protected from major sin, believed to have communicated with God, all referred to as men - Differences: Muhammad is the last prophet, he is sent to all people unlike previous prophets who were sent to specific nations, revealed the Quran

What are the challenges in reconstructing the historical context of a Qur'anic verse?

- Surahs are composed of verses from multiple revelations (different times) (no chronological order) - Lack artifacts - Timing of each revelation is unknown - Quran does not narrate life of the prophet or the history of the community

1. Explain Muslim understandings of the previous scriptures. Which previous scriptures are specifically mentioned by the Qur'an? How do Muslims interact with them today and why?

- The Quran mentions the Torah and Gospel. Quran praises them. Says the gospel contains guidance and light. It's believed that they are partially preserved, forgotten, and corrupted. They are used to fill in the gaps in prophetic story-telling, but never used for law or theology.

Explain the difference between tradition-based and reason-based exegesis

- Tradition: argues that the prophet explicitly prohibited anyone from engaging in exegesis that was not based on tradition. Tradition includes referencing Quran, hadith, and religious authority of first and second generation of Muslims. - Reason: considers view of late scholars, historical texts, and theological writings. Allows for interpretation of text based on independent reasoning, but with certain limitations.

What guidelines does the Qur'an give regarding dress for both sexes? Discuss key terms and phrases in the Qur'anic text itself.

- Women: entire body should be covered except face, hands, and feet. o "the wives of believers should lengthen their garments" - Men: midsection from bellybutton to knees should be covered. o "khimar" "ornaments" o "men lower their glances and guard their private parts"

Isa

1. Isa- known as Jesus, the son of Mary, birth was a miracle, the word sent from God

Explain the five possible rulings that Muslims scholars gave to all human acts. What is an example of each and what are the consequences of doing them / not doing them? What type of scriptural evidence do they require?

1. Obligatory- what you are commanded to do. Ex: prayer, fasting. o If you do it: + o If you don't: - o Required evidence: clear command in a certain text like the Quran or a hadith 2. Recommended- what is recommended you do but doesn't have to be done. Ex: praying extra a. If you do it: + b. If you don't: no change c. Required evidence: Ambiguous command in a certain text or clear command in a probabilistic text. 3. Permissible- act that may be equally committed or omitted. Doesn't require permission or obligation indication by the text. Ex: eating cornflakes for breakfast. a. No change b. No change c. Required evidence: none 4. Disliked- They should not be done, but there is no clear command. Ex: divorce, using contraception a. If you do it: no change b. If you don't: + c. Required evidence: ambiguous command in a certain text or clear command in a certain text. 5. Prohibited- clear prohibition in a certain text. Ex: murder, drinking alcohol, eating pork. a. If you do it: - b. If you don't: + c. Required evidence: clear prohibition in a certain text or something the prophet always avoided

In what ways does the Qur'an engage with the Bible? Discuss at least three intertextual strategies employed by the Qur'an. For what purposes does it use them?

1. Quotation- Quran quotes the Bible because it draws on the Bible's authority and shows the author's familiarity with the Bible. 2. Allusion- to remind the audience of a story they already know. 1 and 2 draws on the authority of the sources you're citing. Establishes the credibility of the speaker, because the speaker has mastery of sources theyre citing. 3. Echo- done for satire/parody Example of a Quotation: The Quran quotes the Psalms. Allusion: The Quran alludes to the story of Moses on Mount Sinai. Echo: The Quranic account of the Israelites includes a line that sounds like the Hebrew in the Bible.

What are the main sources of Islamic law? List and explain four (al-Tayyib)

1. Quran- mostly revealed in Medina. Not many legal verses. 2. Sunnah- the way of Muhammad. Known through hadith and practice of Disciples. 3. Qiyas- legal analogy 4. Teachings of the Imams for Shi'ites- Imams are the spiritual authorities after Muhammad's death- in Muhammad's biological lineage)

How did Muslim scholars seek to reconcile the Qur'an's violent verses with its peaceful ones? Discuss arguments made by mainstream Muslim scholars and by terrorists.

1. historical context- what was going on when this scripture was revealed 2. textual context- look at verses immediately before and after - Mainstream Muslim Scholars say earlier verses establish important principles and it doesn't make sense that God would celebrate love and peace, and then change his mind. - Terrorist- believe Naskh- says later verses cancel and replace earlier verses. Violent verses came later, so they cancel and replace the peaceful ones.

For what purposes does the Qur'an authorize violent force?

1. self-defense such as fighting for protection of one's home or mosque. necessary to maintain the worship of God on earth 2. when defending Islam

In the Islamic tradition, what qualifications did a Muslim scholar need to have before they were "qualified" to interpret the Qur'an? List three spiritual/moral requirements, and three intellectual ones (see handout)

3 Spiritual/Moral Requirements: - Fear of God and immediate repentance upon the performance of sin - The proper intention to please God and guide others - Love and respect for the Quran 3 Intellectual Requirements: - A gifted intellect - Knowledge and mastery of all relevant sources of tafsir - Knowledge of methods of interpretation (like hermeneutics)

Hijab

A headscarf or veil worn by Muslim women

Give an example of a story about Abraham in the Qur'an that is also found in extra-Biblical material.

Abraham smashing the idols.

When and how did the Qur'an first come to America?

During slave trade in the 1500s

Tafsir

Arabic term for interpretation/commentary

Why did Thomas Jefferson purchase a copy of the Qur'an? What evidence do we have for his motivation?

Because he was interested in law, he kept in the religious law section of his library

What is the problem with relying upon the news media for one's knowledge of other countries and cultures, including the Muslim world?

Because the news broadcasts things like Muslim terrorism because that gets them the most views. They partake in framing, which includes a lot of biases, and leads the world to view Islam in a very negative light.

I'jaz - Inimitability

Doctrine that the Quran is impossible for humans to replicate. No human speech can match that of the Quran.

Maqasid / Maqasid al-Shari'ah

Goals of the law. Used to check if Qiyas is in serve of the larger goals of the religion. The modern goals of Islam are mercy, justice, equality, freedom, dignity, and human rights.

How did Usama bin Laden justify attacking American civilians? Be sure to discuss at least three of his grievances as well as his arguments for killing our civilians despite the general prohibition in Islam on doing so

Grievances: 1. US plunders Muslims' wealth through alliance with Saudi Arabia we manipulate the price of oil to keep is cheap for ourselves 2. US is occupying holy lands. Saudi King invited US troops into SA to help protect it from Iraq. 500,000+ US troops were there and 5,000 remained even after the war ended. 3. US is responsible for 600,000+ Iraqi children's deaths after placing sanctions on Iraq to make them give up their WMD program.

Fitrah

Human disposition to naturally worship God

Give an example of a story about Jesus in the Qur'an that is not found in the Bible but is found in extra-Biblical literature.

Jesus breathing life into clay birds.

How do Qur'anic verses revealed in Mecca before the Hijra differ from those revealed in Medina after the Hijra in their subject matter? Discuss the relative prevalence of legal verses in each. (Al-Tayyib)

Medina: focus on stories also found in Bible, legislation regarding laws. (things that are relevant for Muhammad's interactions with Jews, formation of a community). Mecca: Focus on the oneness of God, basic ethics, the Day of Judgement, and prayer. (Things that strengthen the hearts of new converts).

How have Muslims and critical academics explained the similarities and differences between the Qur'an's stories of the prophets and those of the Bible?

Muslim Explanation: - Quran matches bible because it is recounting true stories - the Quran contradicts the bible because the bible has been corrupted of human origin, not original Academic Explanation: - Quran matches the bible because Muhammad heard a biblical story and included it - Quran contradicts the bible because the story Muhammad heard was changed by someone else, or Muhammad himself - Quran matches extra-biblical sometimes because Muhammad heard those stories too.

Prophet / Nabi

One who conveys a message from God to a specific people at a specific time—not every prophet is a messenger. Ex) Joseph, Moses, Muhammad

What is the Qur'an's "prophetology?" That is, what do prophets and messengers do and not do according to the Qur'an, why are they sent, and what common teachings did they bring to humanity?

Prophetology= Doctrine of the prophets o Prophets DON'T: worship multiple Gods, commit major sins o Prophets DO: Deliver the message that there is "no God, but God" o Messengers DO: have moral accountability o Messengers DON'T: worship multiple Gods - WHY SENT? God sent a prophet to every nation to guide them to a path of righteousness. Messengers sent because some people haven't been reached yet. - Common teachings: monotheism (there is one God), God should be worshipped, moral accountability (punished by Lord for sins)

How is the Qur'anic story of Adam and Eve (Hawa) similar to and different from the biblical story in Genesis chapters 2 through 4? Identify three similarities and three differences in the stories.

Similarities: - Forbidden fruit of the tree - Both stories take place in the Garden of Eden - There's a tempter Differences: - Bible says Eve was made from Adam's rib, Quran doesn't mention how Eve was made - Bible says Eve hate from the tree first then fed it to Adam, while Quran doesn't give an order just says "they both ate" - In Bible, Adam blames Eve an Eve blames the serpent. In Quran, they blame themselves saying "We have wronged our souls"

Compare and contrast the story of Jesus in the Bible and in the Qur'an. Identify three significant similarities and three significant differences.

Similarities: - Jesus raises the dead - Virgin birth - Heals the leper Differences: - In the Quran, Jesus breathes life into clay birds. This is not in the Bible. - In the Quran, Jesus speaks as an infant. This is not in the Bible. - Quran reject the trinity and does not refer to Jesus as the "son of God" or "son of Mary"

Jefferson Question Answer

The Quran calls for religious toleration 2:256 ("there is no compulsion is religion") can't force someone to believe something. Because of this verse, Islamic civilization tolerated non-Muslim minorities. Edward Pocock (first professor of Arabic at Oxford)- in 1600s lived in Muslim world for almost 10 years at Christian minority. Had Jewish Arabic teacher. Experiences toleration first hand. Pocke is teacher of John Locke- teaches him Arabic. Locke famously argues that Muslims should be given civil right in democracy. Jefferson loves Locke- sopies Locke's view into Virginia Statue of Reli... Locke very possibly picked up his argument that Muslims sho... OR geogria Sale: Jefferson's copy of the Quran had an introduction by George Sale the translator, Sale argued that even though he thought islam was not from God, that historically Muslims had been more tolerant than Christians. This could have influenced Jefferson's perception that Muslims were not a threat to a modern state.

Occasions of Revelation

Transmitted reports about the historical context of a specific verse. It is helpful because it sometimes alludes to things you otherwise wouldn't know.

Identify two major predicted changes to the religious landscape of the US and two major predicted changes to the religious landscape of the world that are expected to occur in your life time.

US: 1. Christian population will decline greatly from ¾ pop in 2010 to 2/3 in 2050. 2. Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion World: 1. # of Muslims will nearly equal the # of Christians around the world 2. 4/10 Christians in the world will live in Sub-Saharan Africa

Usama bin Laden

Who- founder of al-Qaeda What- an icon for Islamic extremism and violent opposition to both the United states and its allies Where- grew up in Saudi Arabia When- died in 2011 Why- mastermind of terrorist attacks like the attacks of 9/11 on the World trade center in NYC and the pentagon near Washington, DC.

Adam

believed to be the first human being, the first prophet, and the first Muslim.

Ijaza

certificate/diploma, literally "permission", permission to transmit the text

Hermeneutics-

theory and method of interpretation.

Extra-Biblical

information or content found outside the bible

Qiyas

legal analogy, tool used to adapt Islamic law to new times and places.

Shariah

literally means "path to a watering hole", Islamic law in the ideal, it is what God wants.

Jihad

literally means "to struggle". means any struggle in the way of God. Can be the use of force in military conflict. Can also be things like jihad against your lower self (addictions, bad habits, etc.) or jihad against crime, pollution, illiteracy, etc.

Fiqh

literally means "understanding". Human attempt to understand what God wants. All law books are fiqh.

Ijtihad

means "to struggle" (intellectually)

Canon (Oxford Bible)

set of texts which the religious community regards as scripture

Naskh (its meaning in law, not in art)

the need for abrogation, says that later verses cancel earlier verses.

Intertextuality

the study of relationship between 2 texts, how one engages another for purpose