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The term I'jaz al Qur'an refers to the inimitable quality of the Qur'an. The doctrine of inimitability comes directly from the Qur'anic text itself: And if you are in doubt about what We have sent down upon Our Servant [Muhammad], then produce a surah the like thereof and call upon your witnesses other than Allah, if you should be truthful (The Qur'an Al-Baqarah 2:23). This verse is one of the verses of tahaddi (challenge) that challenges mankind to imitate just one chapter of the Qur'an. The doctrine of inimitability comes directly from this verse and four others throughout the Qur'an. It took about two centuries after the revelation of the Qur'an for the topic i'jaz to become the subject of mass scholarly activity. Reasons for the sudden increase in scholarly activity surrounding i'jaz include such historical events as the emergence of Sufism, the mu'tazalah school of theology, the shu'ubiyyah movement, and the Muslim-Christian interactions during the ninth century. Scholarly activity on has produced several theories on i'jaz from the likes of classical Islamic scholars including Abu Ishaq al-Nazaam, Al-Qadi Abd Al-Jabbar, Abu Bakr Abd al-Qahir bin Abd ar-Rahman bin Muhammad al-Jurjani, Abu Bakr Muammad ibn al-Tayyib al-Baqillani, and Muhammad ibn Juzayy al-Kalbi. These theories of i'jaz, while sharing many similarities, were chosen for this analysis due to the key differences they exhibit. These differences are often associated with the theological school and area of expertise of the given scholar, all of which will be explored thoroughly.
ContributorsShakoor, Musa Abdul (Author) / Ali, Souad (Thesis director) / Gallab, Abdullahi (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
This research focused on the extent to which Syria's Muslim Brotherhood and Syrian Islamic Front have managed to acquire political legitimacy within a society that has historically remained under the control of either a foreign occupier or an oppressive regime. In addition, the added instability caused by the various ethnic/religious allegiances, external forces and a long-standing tradition of inhibiting a civil society have caused their legitimacy within the society to fluctuate dramatically. As a result the Islamic opposition parties in Syria have undergone a variety of ideological and organizational changes in an attempt to acquire a firm support base from Syria's varied population. Therefore, this thesis looked at each Islamic party's ability to obtain support from a wide spectrum of the Syrian populace, starting from their introduction into the political theatre, up until the onset of the Syrian Civil War.
ContributorsDeLintt, Jesus Gabriel (Author) / Lattouf, Mirna (Thesis director) / Ali, Souad (Committee member) / Gallab, Abdullahi (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
9/11 is a suspended moment in history that changed the lives of everyone alive in that moment forevermore. Some became zealous patriots, others despised the United States more, and I was utterly scared. I was scared for many reasons: For starters bombs, violence and hatred visited my country's doorstep. Not only that, but I was a victim of a crime I couldn't logically comprehend. I was unaware of the ongoing tension between the west and the Middle East. I was unaware of the Twin Towers, and I was fully unaware of my vulnerabilities. These emotions triggered a zeal and inspired me to study our "enemy" and try to understand why I was, personally, was their victim. I started reading any and all books that had the keywords I heard in the mainstream media: terrorism, Afghanistan, Taliban, Islam and more. I was afraid to ask questions. Independently I studied many different texts, most of which I share in this document. My autodidactic nature helped me to familiarize myself with the region, its culture and history of conflict with the U.S. I was thankful for three particular books that fomented my interest in the feminism in Islam movement. My essay features these three titles, and my development into an advocate for the movement. I hope to lend my journalism writing and communication skills to the Muslim women of the world who envision a movement rooted in Qur'anic truth and social progress.
ContributorsMorris, Brittany Elena (Author) / Ali, Souad (Thesis director) / Ali, Sarah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The widespread and rapid adoption of mobile phones into urban Morocco is significantly impacting the lives of middle to lower class individuals who interact with this technology. These impacts fall into one of two societal spheres: social and economic. Socially, mobile phone use is altering the way that place-making practices, time construction, and gender roles are being negotiated. These changes are brought about by the phenomena of time/space compression and constant connectivity that these devices enable. Economically, cell phone use is enabling an ease and efficiency of communication that significantly reduces the costs of information transfer. For micro-entrepreneurs, this cost reduction activates pre-existing social networks and generates job opportunities and social status in ways never before possible. The cumulative result of these social and economic shifts is the creation of societal gap that runs down a technological fault line, fundamentally differentiating the day-to-day strategies of those who interact with mobile phones from those who do not.
ContributorsHagan, Melynn Louise (Author) / Ali, Souad (Thesis director) / Mousa, Neimeh (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
This study reports findings regarding vulnerability to intimate partner violence and barriers to seeking services for Arab Muslim immigrant women in the United States. The implications of gender-role expectations, isolation and dependence, and religious interpretations on vulnerability to violence are assessed. Barriers to seeking services, such as immigration status, divorce/legal separation, reports of violence to authorities, and over-inclusion, are identified. The study also includes recommendations for service providers that cater to this population. This study concludes with a brief discussion.
ContributorsDasgupta, Trisha (Author) / Ali, Souad (Thesis director) / Anderson, Lisa M. (Committee member) / Department of Management and Entrepreneurship (Contributor) / School of Social Transformation (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
In the 1980s Jose Casanova wrote a book called Public Religions in the Modern World. He noticed that, although religion was seen a private matter for some time, it was now becoming more de-privatized, which he believes was strongly compelled by the rise of the Moral Majority. Moreover, Talal Asad, also, agrees that religion is definitely not disappearing but becoming more identifiable in the public realm. Casanova's theory contends that the privatization and the de-privatization of religion appeared to be happening simultaneously. Assuming Casanova is correct, it is now approximately 35 years later and the question is "where are we now in the process of the de-privatization of religion?" I chose to use the Evangelical Community as an example due to the fact that the majority of people that live in the United States are very familiar with this particular religion. It has become evident that the Evangelical Community has had a strong voice in the political arena. Focusing mainly on politics and using Billy and Franklin Graham as a lens, who have been both visible and influential in the process of the de-privatization of religion, I try to determine where the United States is in this process. I look at how the Grahams see God fitting into politics and how each of them views their participation in politics. In addition, I utilize present-day examples of what, both, the privatizing and de-privatizing of religion looks like while examining some areas that religion has been asserted into the public sphere. Moreover, I discuss the role of the secular in relationship to religion. Finally, I conclude with answering the question, "is religion still a private matter?"
ContributorsElliott, Tracy Lynn (Author) / Bennett, Gaymon (Thesis director) / Ali, Souad (Committee member) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-12
Description
This narrative discusses the 12-episode documentary series I made showcasing my solo travels through Iraq.
ContributorsKaplan, Julie (Author) / Ali, Souad (Thesis director) / Mousa, Neimeh (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / School of Accountancy (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2023-05
Description
Analyzed the primary resources such as the Qur'an along with several Muslim scholarly pieces of literature written by Muslim Feminists regarding Women in Islam. Interpretations of the Qur'an have been passed from generation to another, and therefore there is a strict reliance on such established interpretation that is mainly conducted by men. There is a lack of participation in women reading and interpreting the Qur'an. This is a disadvantage to the Muslim community, as it encourages interpretive cultural practices that constitute politics and power, rather than a true and authentic translation of the Qur'an as cohesive guidance for gender justice. Feminism in Islam does exist as it aligns with the Quranic principles of gender justice. Feminism was showcased in many historical movements in the following Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt, Morocco, Yemen, and Iran. These events are important to analyze and consider to further understand the framework of Muslim feminism and how it aligns with the Qur'an. My focus was analyzing Muslim Feminist scholars, who have blueprinted a path for Muslim women to understand their role in Islam and provide an accurate interpretation of the Qur'an versus socio-cultural practices which have impacted how women in Islam are perceived and treated.
ContributorsAlsaeedi, Sarah (Author) / Ali, Souad (Thesis director) / Mousa, Neimeh (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
The field of neuroscience continues to grow in findings and opportunity. Similarly, this Honor’s Thesis aims to increase the diversity within the field. This children's book, Making Sense of Your Senses seeks to foster an early interest in the wonders of the brain by making neuroscience accessible to young readers through comprehensible text and entertaining illustrations.
ContributorsOsman, Yara (Author) / Ali, Souad (Thesis director) / Bristol, Rachel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (Contributor) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor)
Created2024-05
Description
This thesis aims to examine Afghan literature and feminism through the works called On Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi and Roya by Shaina and Nadia Pakrawan. For a couple of years, the Taliban has controlled Afghanistan's literature on women and feminism to silence and squash Westernized notions of freedom and rights for women. However, feminist authors continue to publish and produce many works like On Half from the East and Roya in retaliation. This thesis argues that to them, the pen is mightier than the sword, and their literature will be able to tackle the situation much better than physical retaliation, which only aggravates the situation. Through writing, women in Afghanistan can create their own identities and no longer struggle while doing so. As more and more people become aware of their situation, they hope the world will be able to provide the proper assistance they need to save them while respecting their cultures and religions carefully.
ContributorsDoorani, Sitara (Author) / Van Engen, Dagmar (Thesis director) / Ali, Souad (Committee member) / Bhattacharjya, Nilanjana (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution & Social Change (Contributor)
Created2022-05