Is “Quranic Arabic” a pedagogical mistake?

by | Sep 7, 2015 | Uncategorized

Comment on the Video Featuring Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi

I would like to make a brief comment on this video featuring Dr. Mohammad Akram Nadwi:
The learned shaykh has made an important point in this video, but I can only assume that exaggerated words like “Deception” were added to the title by the marketing team!

Arabic Language Teaching with the Qur’an at the Centre

My comment on the argument is this: it is possible to teach Arabic with the Qur’an at the centre, while making sure to provide examples and materials from outside the Qur’an to help solve the limitations which have been identified in this video, e.g. not knowing how the Quranic usages compare to everyday usages and those which preceded its revelation.

The Validity of Teaching Arabic Through the Qur’an

If some people teach Arabic through the Qur’an (bearing in mind that one of the courses in Dr. Akram’s institutes uses a textbook with exactly that title: “Arabic Through the Qur’an”!), then surely there are good reasons for that, and we shouldn’t throw around words like “danger”.

How Should We Approach the Qur’an After Learning Arabic?

Another observation: I’m not sure how we should approach the Qur’an after knowing Arabic, in the manner of the Sahaba. After all, we are already living fourteen centuries post-revelation, and the codification of the Arabic language and its preservation were profoundly affected by the Qur’an.

Postscript: Dr. Akram’s Clarification Video

Some of people’s objections were raised with Dr. Akram, resulting in this second video by way of clarification. I sent back the points below in response to the brother from the CIC who shared it with me, which contain some repetition only because those points of mine were not addressed.

Teaching Methodology and the Separation of Quranic Usages

On the point about teaching methodology: if the point is that we should teach the language completely separate from its Quranic usages, then that would necessitate sticking 100% to the Jahili era. So perhaps we should start marketing courses on “Jahili Arabic” instead of Quranic? Would this convey the intention?

Misleading Statement About Muslims Learning Arabic Before the Qur’an

To say that “Muslims were always learning Arabic then the Qur’an” seems to me a misleading statement. As I said above, we do have to recognise that we are living in a later period well after the Arabic language was codified. The very sciences of nahw, sarf, balagha etc. were created after the fact of the Qur’an and in its service.

The Realities of Learning Arabic in Later Eras

True, the Sahaba knew (Jahili) Arabic before the Qur’an. But in later eras, people learned the spoken language of their own eras, and they would have memorised the Qur’an at an early stage. So this idealised picture of (Jahili) Arabic then Qur’an doesn’t seem readily applicable or realistic.

Addressing the “Danger” in Teaching Quranic Arabic

The Shaykh was asked whether “danger” is a fair description, and he said yes if the focus is only on the Quranic usages. But must every “Quranic Arabic” course have this fatal flaw? As he pointed out, tafsir books provide information about broader usages, and so can any good Arabic course. This is not to mention the imperative of teaching Arabic as a living language, which is challenging enough as it is.

Conclusion: The Intentions Behind the Statements

It should be noted that my objections are not directed at Dr. Akram’s dismissal of Quranic Arabic (which strikes me as slightly inconsistent), as that is his prerogative as a leading scholar and educator. I do object to these statements being spread in such a way as to discredit the efforts of others, as I know that is not the speaker’s intention.

Quick notes on the “pre-Muhammadan Qur’an”

by | Sep 2, 2015 | Uncategorized

How Did a Story Confirming the Antiquity of the Qur’an Turn into a Claim That It Might “Predate Muhammad”?

How did a story that apparently confirmed the antiquity of the Qur’an as we know it, and the broad accuracy of Muslim traditional accounts, turn into weird headlines claiming that the Qur’an might “predate Muhammad” and that the new discoveries may necessitate a complete rethinking of Islamic history?

The University of Birmingham’s Radiocarbon Testing: No New Discoveries

Nothing new actually happened since the University of Birmingham’s announcement of the early date arising from their radiocarbon testing of the parchments. There were news stories circulating then (with some jubilation from Muslims), and then there were later articles in which revisionist academics presented an alternative sceptical theory which could make use of this radiocarbon date range – rather than being made utterly untenable thereby.

Dr. Jonathan Brown’s Response to Revised Revisionist Theories

The best response I have seen so far to these revised revisionist theories is by Dr. Jonathan Brown: How Should Rationalists Deal with Dogmatism? Dr. Brown is by now a renowned scholar in the field of Hadith studies, and has done a great service to the public by clarifying this issue.

Additional Factors to Consider

The following are some additional factors to bear in mind, which may serve as an introduction or postscript to that article.

The Nature of Academia: Hypothesis, Debate, and Examination

  1. The nature of academia, in which alternative theories are hypothesised, examined and debated. Yes, there are agendas and biases, but we ought not to be too dramatic about this.

The Danger of Uninformed Opinions and Pseudo-Expertise

  1. The danger of uninformed opinions and pseudo-expertise, whether that is coming from the historians who speak to the media in matters outside their speciality; or Muslim scholars who are learned in some things but don’t follow these fields and contemporary debates on palaeography or radiocarbon science, etc.; or from the hordes of people on social media who simply must express an opinion, and right away!

The Role of the Media in Distorting Information

  1. The role of the media in distorting things, even the views of some of the academics quoted. They have their own agenda, and sensationalism is the air they breathe. We must learn to read and think critically, and to identify the real story as well as the gaps which have been filled irresponsibly.

The Importance of Avoiding Hasty Judgements

  1. Muslims should avoid hasty judgements. The reality of this particular folio in Birmingham is something which we simply don’t know yet, and can’t be sure we will ever know. Science provides fantastic opportunities to find out, but science is built upon certain assumptions and does not provide the certainty that time travel might! Our human techniques are a work in progress. By traditional Islamic accounts and methods of analysis, this copy from the Qur’an appears to be of a slightly later date than the radiocarbon dating suggests. One or the other set of theories may need to be revised. These are all questions that are raised in the context of scholarship, and are not troubling to those who can distinguish the core issues from peripheral ones.

Features of recitation in “Solomon and the Queen”

by | Aug 26, 2015 | Uncategorized

Introduction to Solomon and the Queen: An Overview for Beginners

This post serves as an introduction to Solomon and the Queen for people who are less familiar with Qur’an recitation, or with the particular style which is exemplified by the reciter, Qari Hajjaj al-Hindawi.

The Qur’an as a Vocal and Oral Phenomenon

The first thing to appreciate is that the Qur’an is a vocal and oral phenomenon, as much as – if not more than – it is written and read as a scripture. As I have explained elsewhere, Qur’an recitation can be seen both as a science and and art-form, in that it is governed by certain rules of pronunciation (known as tajweed), while the beauty of vocalisation is also encouraged and emphasised.

The Spiritual Experience of Listening to Qur’an Recitation

Listening to the Qur’an being recited by an expert is a highly spiritual experience, and may be deemed as an act of worship when done with that intention. The believer listens to receive guidance and to move his or her heart into greater submission to the Creator. Yet anyone may listen in on this divine discourse and appreciate the power of the Qur’an’s internal rhythms, as enhanced by the melodies of the reciter’s interpretation.

The Egyptian Tradition of Performative Recitation

The Egyptian tradition of performative recitation (mujawwad) is of particular note, and Qari Hindawi is a contemporary master of this tradition.

Key Features of Solomon and the Queen’s Recitation

Now I shall mention some key features to bear in mind when watching Solomon and the Queen, and the recitation therein from Surat al-Naml (the Chapter of the Ants), verses 15-44.

Spontaneity of the Live Performance

The reciter decides within the moment exactly how he will render the verses, in terms of melody, phrasing, repetition and so on. He has an audience in front of him who may react at times to how he delivers a verse, and this may affect him positively.

Slow Pace and Repetition

These same verses might be recited within the prayer within just a few minutes, whereas the style adopted here – known as mujawwad – is designed to allow for deeper reflection on each verse or phrase before moving on. The reciter may repeat a single phrase a number of times, allowing for him to vary his own tone, and for the listener to consider its meanings more deeply or from various angles.

The Role of Melodies in Mujawwad Style

The mujawwad style is highly melodious and characterised by variation, based upon the melodic scales known as maqamat. This allows the reciter to shift between contrasting tones appropriate, variously, to jubilation, awe, reward, punishment, and so on.

Multiple Readings (Qira’at) of the Qur’an

There are multiple transmissions of the Quranic text known as the Ten Readings, all of which are considered unanimously by Muslim scholars to be authentic and authoritative in their status as Qur’an. Each has two sub-narrations, of which the two most prominent are known as Hafs and Warsh.

The Hafs and Warsh Narrations in the Recitation

The Hafs narration is the most familiar to people all around the world, to the extent that many are unaware that there are more ways to pronounce the Qur’an! The majority of the recitation in this film is in this predominant Hafs narration, but there is a small section towards the end in which Sh. Hindawi switches to Warsh, and then back to Hafs: this has been noted in the top-left corner of the screen.

The Controversy of Mixing Readings and Narrations in Public Recitals

The practice of mixing between readings and narrations in this type of public recital is somewhat frowned upon by scholars, but it is very common in this Egyptian mujawwad tradition.

Differences Between Hafs and Warsh in the Recitation

For those who are interested in more specifics about the verses recited in the Warsh narration in this film, here are the descriptions of the words which sound different from the familiar Hafs narration:

  • Verse 40: the extended vowels in Anaaaaaa aaaaaateeka (particularly the first of these). The light /r/ sound, and altered and extended vowels in ra’aaaaaahu, then the light /r/ in mustaqirran. The two ways of reciting li-yabluwaniya a-ashkuru / aaaaaashkuru are options within Warsh.
  • Verse 41: the light /r/ in nakkiroo. The transition in nanzur-a-tahtadee.

The making of “Solomon and the Queen”

by | Aug 17, 2015 | Uncategorized

Celebrating Ten Years of Quranica

Just as we are celebrating ten years since the launch of Quranica, it is now nine years since one of our most memorable events. On 13th August 2006, a world-renowned reciter – Sh. Hajjaj Ramadan al-Hindawi – sat down in Edinburgh’s Central Mosque to recite at the end of a whole weekend of Quranica events in Scotland.

A Memorable Journey

It was quite a journey getting him over to join us, but that is perhaps another story for another time!

The Sunday Event: A Traditional Approach

At this Sunday event, we did things differently, and more traditionally. We didn’t give the reciter any instructions. He began to recite from Surat al-Naml, and the story of Prophet Sulaiman and his encounters with the ants, birds and jinns, and then with the Queen of Sheba.

A Mesmerising Recitation

He recited with a mesmerising style that made us all quiver from the beauty of the Qur’an and the power of its narrative. We usually project a translation to make it easier to understand, but not today; yet there was at least one young non-Muslim man who sat and listened through the entire recital (almost an hour straight).

The Magic of the Afternoon

If you were there that afternoon, you know how magical it was. Even the movement of the sun through the hall – as it was after ‘Asr prayer and getting closer to sunset – added another dimension of beauty, and somehow chimed with the themes of the story.

A Vision for the Film

I knew that this needed to be edited in a special way, but the right person – and the right idea – didn’t come along for quite some time. It was in early 2015 that I finally felt the time was right, and I began to discuss some ideas with our talented cinematographer, Azam Khan.

The Creative Process: Trial and Error

My initial vision was about interspersing the recitation with commentary, but the specifics of how this would look went through some phases of thinking as well as trial and error! We first shot the commentary in the Edinburgh Central Mosque, to give the impression that it had happened simultaneously with the recitation. But it just didn’t look good enough. And so the idea of using scenic locations evolved out of this.

Choosing Scenic Locations

We chose locations which could help advance the narrative and evoke the viewer’s imagination. Of course the real “valley of the ants” wouldn’t have been as green as the Scottish valley we chose in the Campsie hills, but that is not what we are claiming! Then there was Sheba’s palace, which is actually the stairway leading to the Hunterian Museum at the University of Glasgow. Solomon’s court is the quadrangle, while the entranceway to his palace are the cloisters. For all this, we secured special permission from the University. One of our favourite shots was of the King’s “palace” in the distance, which is actually the Kelvingrove gallery.

Seven Scenes to Follow the Story

Another stylistic feature we introduced in this film is its division into seven “scenes”: The Humble Kings of the Israelites; The Queendom of the Ants; The Hoopoe Goes AWOL; The Queen of Sheba’s Court; A Bribe Rejected; The Challenge; and En Route to the Palace. The idea of these was primarily to help the viewer to follow the progression of the story, especially those who are less used to the Qur’an’s narrative style, which may jump from one setting to another. These scene screens are accompanied by illustrations, which are not only visually engaging, but should help anyone who has no idea what a hoopoe is, for example!

Keeping the Recitation at the Heart of the Film

We kept the recitation at the very heart of the film. To make it easier for people who might lack the stamina to watch 45 minutes of straight recitation, we divided that into roughly 5-minute sections with commentary in between, helping the viewer to understand what is going on. We trimmed the recitation itself only a little. One of the core challenges of this project was to mix the original footage – now nine years old – with new high-definition footage, and this is something we could only be successful in to a certain extent.

Target Audiences for the Film

In presenting this film in which the Qur’an itself – through this recitation – is placed centre-stage, we have in mind three target markets in particular:

1. Those Who Love Recitation But Don’t Study the Meanings

Those who already love this kind of recitation, but do not have the habit of studying the meanings of what they hear. (At the time of writing, an unofficial recording of the event which forms the basis of our film has had over 40,000 views on YouTube.)

2. Those Fascinated by the Meanings of the Qur’an

Those who are fascinated by the meanings of the Qur’an, but do not have the habit of listening directly to its words, or perhaps even reading them from the page. How is it that recitation could become marginalised in the contemporary Quranic experience? Or that tilawah (recitation) and tadabbur (reflection) could have become separated?

3. Seekers of Truth and Beauty from Every Background

Seekers of truth and beauty from every background and community.

The Role of Subtitles

Subtitles were carefully prepared and added with precision to each phrase recited of the Qur’an. These were adapted based on the same research which went into the commentary. I elaborate on the interpretive issues of the commentary in a separate post.