Readings

top

1. Cragg, Kenneth. Readings in the Qur’an. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 1988: 1-45. | Download Readings in the Qur'an
2. The Joseph Story (Genesis 35-50 RSV)
3. Cragg, Kenneth. Readings in the Qur’an. Brighton: Sussex Academic Press, 1988: 130-137. | Download Readings in the Qur'an
4. Kaltner, John. “Introduction” of Inquiring of Joseph: Getting to Know a Biblical Character Through the Qur’an. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2003: ix-xx. | Download "Introduction" of Inquiring of Joseph
5. Kaltner,John. “Introduction” of Inquiring of Joseph: Getting to Know a Biblical Character Through the Qur’an. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2003: 23-43. | Download "Introduction" of Inquiring of Joseph
6. Renard, John. Seven Doors to Islam: Spirituality and the Religious Life of Muslims. Berckley: University of California Press, 1996: 259-272. | Download Seven Doors to Islam
7. Knappert, Jan. Islamic Legends: Histories of the Heroes, Saints and Prophets of Islam, V. Leiden: Brill Academic Publishers, 1997: 85-104. | Download Islamic Legends
8. Knappert, Jan. “Yusup” in Malay Myths and Legends. Kuala Lumpur: Heinemann Educational Books (Asia) Ltd, 1980: 43-44. | Download "Yusup"

Summary

top
Session Four readings consider the Qur’an as a written literary text, that is, in its physical form as a compiled book. Discussion of the Qur’an’s style, structure and contents, its terminology and world-view and the diverse ways in which Muslim communities interpret it, help the reader understand the “mechanics” of this book that is of central significance to Muslims around the world. To provide a broader frame of reference for the study of the Qur’anic text as well as an understanding of the manner in which the Islamic tradition relates itself to Christianity and Judaism, the session includes an examination of the story of Joseph in a comparative context, that is, its narration in the Bible and the Qur’an. The readings on the Joseph story and its literary and artistic expressions in various cultural contexts invite an exploration of the role that cultural contexts play in creating diverse Muslim interpretations of the same text.

The brief discussion of eight central themes of the Qur’an, in the readings from Kenneth Cragg, lays the foundation for understanding Islamic expectations concerning faith, worship and behavior. The eight themes, as stated by Cragg, are:
• God and His praise
• Man in creation
• Prophethood in human guidance prior to Muhammad
• Muhammad in his Meccan environment
• Muhammad in his Medinan locale
• Religious Law and devotion
• Social Law and society
• The Last Things

Study of the Qur’an is not complete without an understanding of the importance that aesthetics of recitation plays in worship. As we have already discussed in Session Three, memorization and recitation of Qur’anic verse are important Muslim practices. The aural dimension of the Qur’an helps the believer access God’s message through sound. As we shall explore later, calligraphic Arabic writing adds an artistic dimension in revering Allah’s word as well.

Guiding Questions

top
Introductory:

1. Cragg states that “Muslim conviction sees divine communication and Muhammad’s messengership as the two aspects of a single fact.”(page 18)

• How is the merging of these two concepts important to Islamic theology?
• What roles did the conception and recording of the Qur’an play in explaining Cragg’s quote and in establishing this as a holy book?

2. Cragg also discussed the concept of “‘there-and-then’ in concern for ‘here and now.’” (p. 27). Is there a correlation between the role and interpretations of the Qur’an and the life styles of Muslims during different historical time periods? Explain.

3. Discuss the role of the Qur’an in providing direction for an ethical life. Incorporate the inclusion of the eight themes in the discussion.

Joseph Story:
The Joseph story is one of the best known and best-loved traditional narratives among Jewish, Christian and Muslim peoples. Jews and Christians know it in its Biblical form as it appears in Genesis 35-50. (Jews also know many embellishments to the story, which are found in Talmudic literature.) Muslims know it its Qur’anic form as told in Surah 12 (Chapter 12). The reading from J. Kaltner, Inquiring of Joseph, ix-xx; 23-43 will be particularly helpful in framing your reading of the Quranic and Genesis accounts of the Joseph story.

4. In comparing the Biblical and Qur’anic traditions of the Joseph materials, try to assess what the distinctive features of each narrative are: the stylistic aspects of each account, it’s probable role in Jewish, Christian or Muslim religious lives, and its place in the larger historical understanding of each of these traditions. What are the differences in the plots of the two accounts? How does character development differ in the two accounts? What might bethe purpose and/or effect of such differences? What is the narrative standpoint from which each account is told? Which accounts seem more didactic? Where do the emphases upon particular events lie in each account? Are the virtues and vices depicted in each account comparable? How does Joseph himself appear in each account? Finally, can you make some generalizations about the overall character of the Qur’anic narrative as opposed to the Biblical narrative?

5. After comparing the Biblical and Qur’anic versions of the story of Joseph, read the Malay and Swahili narratives. How do these stories and their portrayals of Joseph compare and contrast with those of the Bible and the Qur’an? Given that the Joseph story is already told in the Muslim scripture, what do you think is achieved by re-telling it in each tradition? In the re-telling of the story, how is it “indigenized” or acculturated?

6. John Renard writes that because of the “long love affair” that generations of Muslims across the world have had with Joseph, he has become “a comprehensive reminder of the various aspects of the Islamic tradition.” Provide some instances from the readings in support of this statement.

7. Cragg states that “Creed, code, cult, community and culture are five ‘c’s in necessary inter-relation in every religion.” (page 41). Use these five concepts to compare and contrast the variations of the Joseph story included in the readings. Include how the sources of the Joseph story reflect Christian, Jewish and Islamic ideologies.

8. After viewing and hearing the multi-media resources, reflect upon the importance of the aural and visual arts in Muslim devotional life.