Elements biographiques

J’ai fait ma licence et mon master à l’Université de Toronto et je suis en train de faire mon doctorat à l’Institut des études arabes et islamiques de Göttingen, Allemagne. Mon directeur de recherche est le professeur Sebastian Günther. (Ahmed Waleed)

Projet de thèse

Understanding Quranic Narratives in Islamic Exegesis : An Interpretive Tradition in Transformation

Abstract :

Quranic narratives are stories that recount the experiences of various pre-Islamic figures. The majority of these narratives revolve around characters from the Bible, most of whom are prophets. Few others pertain to prophetic figures who seem indigenous to the culture of Ancient Arabia and are therefore identified as Arabian prophets. There are also few narratives that concern figures who are unnammed or only referred to by an epithet (definite identification of these figures is not always possible). Moreover, there is also a smaller group of Quranic narratives which do not concern prophetic figures ; of these there is, for example, the story of the People of the Cave which is commonly identified with the Christian story of the Seven Sleepers of Ephesus. By virtue of being part of the Quran, Quranic narratives are binding to Muslims. Historically, virtually every aspect of Islamic culture, from law and religious dogma to the mystic’s spiritual experience, has thus been manifestly influenced by the content of these narratives. Quranic narratives continue to be a focal point in Muslims’ thought to the present day. In modern Muslim communities, Muslim intellectuals have constantly reflected on these stories as part of their efforts to revive the relevance and immediacy of the Quran to the lives of Muslims in a world dominated by Western culture and values. This thesis intends to delineate and analyze the salient characteristics of the exegesis of Quranic narratives in Quran commentaries (tafsîrs, sing. tafsîr), starting from the formative period of this genre up to the present. In light of the absence of such a comprehensive and systematic study of the interpretation of Quranic narratives, this thesis will remedy a significant lacuna in modern Quranic Studies. Furthermore, given the composition of these narratives and their significance in Islamic culture, the thesis may well contribute significantly to a better understanding of the Muslims’ attitudes, past and present, towards the religious traditions others. Equally important, examining the interpretation of these narratives in modern tafsîrs will shed new light on, and illustrate, crucial aspects of the Muslims’ response to modernity.

Sélection bibliographique

 “Lot’s Daughters in the Quran : An Investigation through the Lens of Intertextuality” : In the field of Quranic Studies few scholars have been interested in intertextual analysis of Quranic texts. This study aspires to contribute to these efforts by analysing the Quranic verses related to Lot’s daughters’ episode through the lens of intertextuality. Within the framework of the chronological order of the emergence of these verses, I will examine the interpretation of the episode from the perspective of the Quran’s first audience, and, in unison, I will outline its distinctive representation in surat al-Ḥijr vis-à-vis surat Hud and vice versa. The study will lastly conclude by drawing conclusions for Quranic Scholarship. (Lecture at Notre Dame University April 21, 2009)