Programme fees: £175
This is an intensive online course for those who wish to become familiar with the Qur’an and the complexities that surround it. Taught by specialist faculty from the IIS’s Qur’anic Studies Unit, the course looks at the Qur’an from various angles: it introduces participants to the necessary conceptual tools to deal with the complexities related to the Qur’an and its interpretations. The course will analyse the concept of revelation, prophethood and scripture, all within the historical, intellectual, religious and sociopolitical context in which the Qur’an emerged. Students will be exposed to the genre of tafsir as a repository of opinions by authors from various persuasions and schools. Interpretation will be explored as a product of its time focusing on questions such as: How are so many interpretations possible? How are interpretations actually produced? Further, the course will tackle some contemporary concerns like: What is the relevance of reading the Qur’an today? How is it used to justify such things as gender relations, political claims and the like?
Course director:
Dr Omar Ali-de-Unzaga is Deputy Head of the Department of Academic Research and Publications, with particular responsibility for the academic coordination of the Qur’anic Studies Unit.