This course will introduce students to important themes in classical Islamic thought via the multifaceted interpretive histories of selected passages from the Quran. The texts and commentaries range chronologically, geographically, and thematically (from the exegetical, theological, and legal to philosophical and mystical). The first part of the course offers a historical survey of major and marginal theories and trends of scriptural exegesis. The second part explores how these theories have been applied to a number of Quranic themes such as God; creation; faith; law; morality; suffering; esoteric knowledge; and the afterlife. The weekly readings are a mix of primary sources in English translations, as well as relevant secondary scholarship.
- Course owner: Amin Ehteshami