TTTheTheheQuQuQuQuranranranranasasasasaaaaLiteraryLiteraryLiteraryMasterpieceMasterpieceMasterpiece withwithiniiniinitstststsHistoricalHistoricalHistoricalandReligiousandReligiousandReligiousMilieuMilieuMilieussss MuhammadOmerIqbal Athesis submittedinpartialfulfillmentofthe requirementsforthedegreeof MasterofArts UniversityofWashington 2013 Committee: TerriL.DeYoung SelimS.Kuru ProgramAuthorizedtoOfferDegree: NearEasternLanguagesandCivilization ©Copyright2013 MuhammadOmerIqbal ContentsContents 1 PreliminaryNotes..............................................................................................................................v 2 Introduction........................................................................................................................................1 2.1 Methodology...............................................................................................................................7 3 PlacingtheTextinHistory.............................................................................................................11 3.1 TheTraditionalAccountfromArabicSources....................................................................13 3.1.1 ObjectionstotheTraditionalAccount..........................................................................15 3.1.2 OpposingNarratives........................................................................................................17 3.2 EarliestManuscripts................................................................................................................20 3.3 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................25 4 TheReligiousMilieu........................................................................................................................28 4.1 Mecca.........................................................................................................................................30 4.2 Jews............................................................................................................................................32 4.3 Christians..................................................................................................................................33 4.4 Polytheists.................................................................................................................................35 4.5 Ḥunaf’.......................................................................................................................................37 4.6 Expectationofanewprophet................................................................................................39 4.7 Conclusion.................................................................................................................................41 5 LiteraryDevices................................................................................................................................43 5.1 Ḥadhf :OmissionofWords.......................................................................................................43 5.2 ParallelismandChiasmus.......................................................................................................46 5.3 Imagery......................................................................................................................................48 i 5.4 Similes........................................................................................................................................49 5.5 Metaphors.................................................................................................................................51 5.6 RhetoricalQuestions...............................................................................................................53 6 TheQuranasLiterature..................................................................................................................55 6.1 Composition..............................................................................................................................55 6.1.1 IntroductiontotheApproaches....................................................................................58 6.1.2 CompositionoftheVerses..............................................................................................61 6.1.3 CompositionoftheIndividualSurahs..........................................................................64 6.2 TheRoleofa Rasl ....................................................................................................................74 7 Reading SratYnus .........................................................................................................................79 7.1 Methodology.............................................................................................................................79 7.2 StructureoftheSurah.............................................................................................................80 7.3 A:Prologue(1-10).....................................................................................................................83 7.3.1 Opening(1-2)....................................................................................................................83 7.3.2 CreationoftheWorld,andRewardintheHereafter(3-10)......................................85 7.3.3 EmphasisontheCreationandtheReward(5-10).......................................................87 7.3.4 Verses3-10asaWhole....................................................................................................89 B:PreviousPeopleDestroyedfornotBelievingintheir Rusul (11-14)........................................91 7.4 C:Opponents’DemandtoBringaDifferent Qur ’n (15-17)...............................................94 7.5 D:AttitudeoftheRebelsAgainstGod(18-27)......................................................................96 7.5.1 RejectionofThoseOtherthanGod,andWaitUntilGodDecides(18-20)...............97 7.5.2 WheninTrouble,AskGodforHelp/PlotAgainstHimWhenRelieved(21-3)........98 7.5.3 People’sAttitudeandGod’sAccountability(24-5)...................................................100 ii 7.5.4 RewardsforThoseWhoDoGood,andPunishmentforEvildoers(26-7)..............101 7.6 E:RefutationofPolytheism(28-36).....................................................................................102 7.6.1 GodShallSufficeasWitnessbetweenWorshippersandDeities(28-30)...............102 7.6.2 OnlyGodistheProviderandtheCreator,andGuidestotheTruth(31-6)...........103 7.7 F:TheQuranisDeniedAlthoughSomeBelieveinItToo(37-44)...................................105 7.8 X:RetributionfortheDenialofa Rasl (45-56).................................................................107 7.9 F’:GodisaWitnessovertheQuranBeingRecited(57-65)..............................................110 7.10 E’:ExampleofPolytheism:Noah’sPeopleDrowned(66-74)...........................................112 7.10.1 DisbelieversHaveNoEvidenceofDeitiesAssociatedwithGod(66-70)................112 7.10.2 Noah’sPeopleDenySignsandDestroyed;BelieversEstablished(71-3)................114 7.10.3 MoreMessengersBroughtSignsbutDenied(74).....................................................115 7.11 D’:ExampleofRebels:PharaohandHisFollowersDrowned(75-93).............................116 7.11.1 TruthDeclaredSorcery.................................................................................................116 7.11.2 SorceryNullified,TruthVindicated(79-82)..............................................................117 7.11.3 BelieversPlaceTrustinGod,AskforRelieffromPersecution(83-6)....................118 7.11.4 Moses’Prayer(87-9)......................................................................................................119 7.11.5 Pharaoh,RebelandTyrant,DrownedandSavedasaSign(90-3)..........................120 7.12 C’:ReferencetoEarlierScripturesandThisRevelationis Ḥaqq (94-5)..........................121 7.13 B’:ExampleofJonah’sPeople,SavedDuetoTheirBelief(96-103)................................122 7.14 A’:Epilogue(104-9)................................................................................................................124 7.15 RemarksontheSurahasaWhole.......................................................................................126 8 ConcludingRemarks......................................................................................................................128 9 Bibliography...................................................................................................................................132 iii 9.1 IntroductoryTexts.................................................................................................................132 9.2 ῾Ulmal-Qur ’n ........................................................................................................................132 9.3 Hermeneutics.........................................................................................................................133 9.4 OntheHistoryoftheQuran.................................................................................................135 9.5 CommentariesandTheirAnalyses......................................................................................136 9.6 HistoricalSources..................................................................................................................137 9.7 LanguageandLiterature.......................................................................................................138