Qur’anic Studies

Occasional Lecture Series: The Qur’an in English Verse

Prof. Bruce Lawrence (Duke University) and Prof. Rafey Habib (Rutgers University)

The Qur'an is often viewed as being resolutely Arabic, whereby any translation can only deliver its meaning, not its tone and timbre in Arabic. To broaden an understanding of the Qur’an, many scholars are researching and producing English translations that will invoke a sense of curiosity for further exploration in the beauty and sublimity of the original — a poetic translation with a distinctive yet subtle voice.

To this end we will review three Qur’anic suras that embody our approach: Sūrat al-Fātiḥa (Q. 1), Sūrat Yā Sīn (Q. 36) and Sūrat al-Raḥmān (Q. 55).

Date:            Tuesday, 10 November 2015

Time:            17:00 

Venue:         The Institute of Ismaili Studies (Room 2.1 – 2nd Floor), 210 Euston Road, London NW1 2DA