Bachelor 2023/2024

Introduction to Quran and Hadith Studies

Category 'Best Course for Career Development'

Category 'Best Course for Broadening Horizons and Diversity of Knowledge and Skills'

Category 'Best Course for New Knowledge and Skills'

Type: Compulsory course (The Arab World: Language, Literature, Culture)

Area of studies: Asian and African Studies

Delivered by: Institute for Oriental and Classical Studies

Where: Faculty of Humanities

When: 3 year, 1-4 module

Mode of studies: distance learning

Online hours: 20

Open to: students of one campus

Instructors: Leonid Kogan

Language: English

ECTS credits: 3

Contact hours: 70

Course Syllabus

Abstract

The discipline "Introduction to the Study of the Quran and Hadith" is designed for third-year students who already have a fairly good command of the Arabic literary language in its various forms, including those familiar with the peculiarities of the language of the Quran. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the historical and cultural context of the creation of the Koran and Hadith corpus, which is key to understanding modern Islam. Listeners will have the opportunity to learn about the evolution of ideas about the history of the formation of the text of the Koran and hadith both in modern science and within the Muslim tradition.

Learning Objectives

• The main purpose of the course is to enable the students to competently assess various types of the Quranic texts starting from the easiest samples (prophetic narratives) and gradually moving to more difficult text-types.

Expected Learning Outcomes

• The students are to be able to identify particular Quranic texts as belonging to one of the text-types and explain their choice.
• To enable the students to evaluate the linguistic specificity of the Quranic text in all its aspects, allowing them to use these skills in their practical acquaintance with individual surahs and ayahs.
• Creation of basic skills in Semitic and non-Semitic etymology as applied to the Quranic vocabulary, introduction to cultural-historical problems mirrored in the cultural vocabulary of Arabic.

Course Contents

• Types of Quranic texts
• Grammar of the Quran
• The Quranic vocabulary

Assessment Elements

• In-class assignment
• Oral interview
• Oral interview

Interim Assessment

• 2023/2024 1st module
  0.5 * In-class assignment + 0.5 * Oral interview
• 2023/2024 4th module
  0.5 * In-class assignment + 0.5 * Oral interview

Bibliography

Recommended Core Bibliography

• An introduction to Koranic and classical Arabic, Thackston, W. M., 1994
• Sharron Gu. (2013). A Cultural History of the Arabic Language. McFarland.
• The Koran : a very short introduction, Cook, M., 2000

Recommended Additional Bibliography

• A Greek and Arabic lexicon (GALex). Fasc.10: ., , 2013
• Haleem, H. B. (2008). A Concise Dictionary of Koranic Arabic * BY ARNE A. AMBROS and STEPHAN PROCHAZKA * The Nouns of Koranic Arabic Arranged by Topics: A Companion Volume to the “Concise Dictionary of Koranic Arabic” * BY ARNE A. AMBROS and STEPHAN PROCHAZKA. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=edsbas&AN=edsbas.3684168C
• Jonathan Owens. (2006). A Linguistic History of Arabic. OUP Oxford.