The Miraculous Eloquence of the Quran -- 140 Live Classes (8 Monthly Installments)
Taught by Hamza Karamali
The eloquence of the Quran is the greatest miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace). Everyone in ancient Arabia, whether friend or foe, was shaken by its power and saw clearly that its linguistic beauty surpassed anything that any human being could produce.
Muslim scholars developed a vocabulary to formalize the art of linguistic beauty. Over time, this vocabulary was organized into an independent science called balagha, which means, “eloquence”. The vocabulary of this science then became the vocabulary of the science of tafsir (Quranic commentary). The best Quranic commentaries are those that unpack the linguistic power and beauty of the Quran, and all of those commentaries are inaccessible to someone without mastery of the science of Arabic eloquence.
This course will unpack the science of Arabic eloquence using Jawahir al-Balagha by the late Egyptian scholar al-Sayyid al-Hashimi, a book that is distinguished by its copious examples and exercises. You will then use the techniques of this science to decipher the Quranic commentary al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir by the late Tunisian scholar Tahir Ibn `Ashur. The goal of this course is to enable you to access this tafsir on your own and to begin grasping the eloquence of the Quran yourself, even without the aid of a tafsir.
Online students are encouraged to attend live, but they may also take the class by listening to class recordings and asking their questions by email and voice communication.
140 live classes
Start Date: 20 September 2020
End Date: 30 April 2021
Daily Live Classes on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday
11:15 am Istanbul time (Convert to your timezone) to 12:00 noon
What Will I Learn?
The topics that you will cover will include: what it means for speech to be eloquent; stunning examples of eloquence in classical Arabic poetry; the difference between propositional and non-propositional statements; how to use propositional and non-propositional statements, questions, commands, wishes, and vocatives for rhetorical effect; how to use the definite article, pronouns, and demonstrative pronouns for rhetorical effect; how to use ancient Arabic word-order for rhetorical effect; how to use restrictive statements for rhetorical effect; how to use adjectives for rhetorical effect; how to use sentence-conjunctions for rhetorical effect; how to use both brevity and expansiveness for rhetorical effect; how to use similes, explicit metaphors, and implicit metaphors for rhetorical effect; assonance; contrast; digression; transition; using expressions with multiple meanings, and much more.
What Kind of Student is This For?
Unlike other courses, benefiting from this course requires at least an introductory-level understanding of the Arabic language. If you can understand simple Arabic sentences, conjugate verbs, and use an Arabic-English dictionary, you will be able to benefit from the course. If you know more, you will benefit even more.
This course is designed for an adult audience, but enthusiastic teenagers are welcome to join and will also benefit from the course. Several teenagers have already registered for this course and will participating live from Istanbul. If you have time (about 4-5 hours a week), and are enthusiastic about learning the traditional Islamic sciences, you will benefit from this course, whether you are a teenager, a working professional, a community activist, or a parent.
What Are the Class Dates and Times?
Classes run daily from Saturday to Wednesday at 11:15 am Istanbul time (Convert to your time zone). Each class is 45 mins long. Thursdays and Fridays are off. The full schedule is described below.
Fall Semester: September 15 to December 23 (70 days of instruction)
Winter Break: December 24 to January 9
Winter Semester: January 9 to April 11 (64 days of instruction)
Ramadan (Reduced Schedule): April 12 to April 30 (6 days of instruction)
Where Can I Get the Class Texts?
Jawahir al-Balagha will be provided to students in pdf format
al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir is available online electronically and in pdf format