Qur'ānic Stories - (Edinburgh Studies in Classical Arabic Literature) by Leyla Ozgur Alhassen (Paperback)

About the Book

Leyla Ozgur Alhassen approaches the Qur'an as a literary, religious and oral text to show how Qur'anic stories function as narrative: how characters and dialogues are portrayed; what themes are repeated; what verbal echoes and conceptual links are present; what structure is established; and what beliefs these narrative choices strengthen.

Book Synopsis

Leyla Ozgur Alhassen approaches the Qur'an as a literary, religious and oral text that affects its audience. She looks at how Qur'anic stories function as narrative: how characters and dialogues are portrayed; what themes are repeated; what verbal echoes and conceptual links are present; what structure is established; and what beliefs these narrative choices strengthen. Ozgur Alhassen argues that, in the Qur'an, some narrative features that are otherwise puzzling can be seen as instances in which God, as the narrator, centres himself while putting the audience in its place. In essence, this makes the act of reading an interaction between God and the audience.

From the Back Cover

An exploration of storytelling and narrative devices in the Qur'an In this book, Leyla Ozgur Alhassen approaches the Qur'an as a literary, religious and oral text that affects its audience. She looks at how Qur'anic stories function as narrative: how characters and dialogues are portrayed; what themes are repeated; what verbal echoes and conceptual links are present; what structure is established; and what beliefs these narrative choices strengthen. And she argues that in the Qur'an, some narrative features that are otherwise puzzling can be seen as instances in which God, as the narrator, centres himself while putting the audience in its place. In essence, this makes the act of reading an interaction between God and the audience. Qur'anic Stories demonstrates that a narratological and rhetorical approach to the canonised text can contribute new insights to our understanding of the Qur'an and its worldview. Key Features  Draws on narratology, rhetoric and Qur'anic studies to develop a new methodology to analyse Qur'anic stories  Examines the interaction of the text, the audience, characters and the narrator, while analysing Qur'anic commentary (classical and modern; Sunni, Sufi and Shi'i)  Studies stories that represent the variety of Qur'anic narrative: Surat Yūsuf; Surat Āl 'Imrān; Surat Maryam; Surat Ṭaha; and Surat al-Qaṣaṣ Leyla Ozgur Alhassen is a Visiting Scholar in the Near Eastern Studies Department at the University of California, Berkeley.

Review Quotes

[...] the perspectives offered by the author benefit from a wealth of insights and originality.--Peter G. Riddell, Australian College of Theology "Journal of the American Oriental Society 143.4 (2023)"

By directing readers' attention to the Qur'an's narrative strategies for building relationships within and between some of its most important surahs, Ozgur Alhassen makes a welcome contribution to the growing number of studies focusing on the Qur'an's sophisticated rhetorical choices.-- "Shawkat M. Toorawa, Yale University"

This monograph is an impressive addition to the growing number of studies on the Qur'an as a literary text. [...] For all readers of this extraordinary performative text, whatever their background, motive, or outlook, the stories come alive with a fresh, invigorating and engaging analysis, at once exploratory and comprehensive.--Bruce B. Lawrence, Duke University "AMERICAN JOURNAL OF ISLAM AND SOCIETY 38:3-4"

About the Author

Leyla Ozgur Alhassen is Visiting Scholar in the Department of Near Eastern Studies, University of California, Berkeley. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of California, Los Angeles in 2011, focusing on Arabic literature. Dr Ozgur Alhassen has published articles in journals such as Religion and Literature, Religion and the Arts, Comparative Islamic Studies, The Muslim World and Journal of Qur'anic Studies.