Islamic Literature
Things To Consider:
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Religion
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Images of Desire: Islam vs. Egyptian vs. Greek vs. Roman
** Homework Questions **
739:
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When did Islam originate?
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When did Muhammad live?
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What does Islam mean?
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From whose family is Muhammad a descendant?
The Qur'an
736:
Surah 2:
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How do verses 30-39 compare with the Genesis story in the Old Testament?
737:
Surah 3:
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What is the relationship among Allah, Moses, and Jesus?
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Explain: "Muhammad is no more than a Messenger" (3.144).
Islamic Poetry
Hafiz (1300?-1388)
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What poetic form is exemplified by these three examples?
742:
"I Cease Not From Desire"
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Explain: "Not once, not once before I die, / Will her sweet lips
give all my longing peace" (11-12).
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Is the relationship between the speaker and his Beloved a reciprocal
one? Explain.
743:
"Light in Darkness"
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What does "propinquity" mean?
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Explain the final stanza. Why is Hafiz sorrowful? What do the
final two lines mean?
744:
"O Ask Not"
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To whom is this poem addressed?
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What has happened that causes the speaker to write this poem?
Other Discussion Questions:
735:
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Why, according to Sayed Asgar A. Razwy, has the translation of Abdullah
Yusuf Ali "come nearest to being a perfect translation" (735)?
736:
Surah 1:
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How do the opening lines of this Surah compare with other religious
pieces we have encountered thus far? Explain.
737:
Surah 49:
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What is the basic message of this Surah? How does it compare with
the lessons found in other religious texts?
739:
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What characterized Islamic literature before the 1500s?
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What does "Muslemin" mean?
740:
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What is Sufism?
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What is qasida?
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What is the ghazal?