Response papers
These papers build on discussions of the Qur’an in lectures, synchronous classes and
discussion sections. Each paper should be structured like an argumentative essay: you should
have a thesis that responds to the questions asked in the prompt, and you should defend that
thesis. Please indicate which prompt you’re responding to at the top of your paper.
You don’t have to do any research for this paper, beyond a thoughtful reading of the
Qur’an itself. However, prompts 1-4 build on secondary readings assigned for the course, and
you are encouraged to reflect on those works to build your argument for this paper. Canvas
modules include additional essays and links to ebooks, to give you a chance to explore beyond
the assigned readings if you’re interested.
Prompts 5 and 6 are based on our discussion of the structure of the Qur’an, rather than on
secondary readings. I have provided some resources to help you think through those prompts,
although those are not assigned readings.
Citations of the Qur’an will strengthen your discussion and make your thesis more
compelling. But don’t include lengthy quotations. This is a short writing exercise, and long
quotations will only take up valuable space that you need for discussion. Please identify passages
using standard citation practice (e.g. 7:157 = sura 7, verse 157).
If you discuss secondary works, please provide bibliography and citation:
• If you’re citing an assigned reading, copy and paste the citation provided in the Invitations
doc into your bibliography (see Canvas > Assignments > Invitations). Use in-text citations
with author, date and page number in your paper. For example, if you’re citing Ahmed’s
Sharia Compliant, your citation should look like this: (Ahmed 2018, 23).
• If you’re citing a work you found in the module but not assigned for the class, include the
bibliographical entry that you’ll find in Canvas > Files > Assignments > Bibliography and
use in-text citations as above.
• If you’re citing a work not included in the course bibliography, please supply the
bibliographical details and use in-text citations as above.
• To cite a lecture for this class, use an in-text citation giving the date, like this: (lecture, March
29). You don’t need to add this to your bibliography.
Please double space your response paper. Each should be about 1,000 words long. You
may choose to respond to any prompt you like, but you must respond to three different prompts
in the course of the semester. Response papers are due at midnight on February 1, February 24,
and March 31. Keep in mind that you may revise one of these response papers for your final
project when choosing which prompts to discuss.
Prompts
Think about the questions and how they help you to understand Qur’anic themes. You don’t need
to answer all the questions! They are there to get you thinking. Other questions relevant to the
prompts will be discussed in class, as well.
1. How do feminist readings open up new interpretations of gender in the Qur’an? How
does the Qur’an understand gender? Does the Qur’an challenge us to respond to changes
in gender roles between the era of revelation and the 21 st century? How does this context
affect our reading of both prescriptive passages (like 2:222-23 or 4:34) and feminine
figures in the Qur’an (like Mariam/Mary)? Does the Qur’an prescribe normative gender
roles, or is it potentially open to non-binary gender identities? Does it condemn
homosexuality, or is it open to any type of sexual relationship, as long as that relationship
respects the dignity and humanity of both (all) partners? Note: If you choose this topic, I
encourage you to read and cite some of the essays posted to the “Feminist readings,
gender, LGBTQ readings” module and discussed in class on January 25, February 17 and
March 24.
2. What role does community play in the life of the believer, according to the Qur’an? What
responsibility does the community have to the individual; and what does the individual
owe to the community? How does the Qur’an speak to believers; disbelievers; hypocrites
(munafiqun); Jews and Christians? Why does the Qur’an speak to communities beyond its
own constituency – unlike the Jewish and Christian Bibles? Note: If you choose this
topic, I encourage you to read and cite some of the essays posted to the “Community,
pluralism, anti-racism” module and discussed in class on January 13, March 8 and March
17.
3. What does the Qur’an tell us about human responsibility to the natural world? How do
ecotheological readings open up new post-human interpretations of the Qur’an? What
key words (like “earth,” “corruption,” “accounting,” or “sustenance”) does the Qur’an
use to talk about environmental issues? What environmental messages does it express,
using those key words? How do non-human life forms and natural phenomena contribute
to creation, according to the Qur’an? Does the Qur’an speak to non-human
consciousness? Note: If you choose this topic, I encourage you to read and cite some of
the essays posted to the “Eco-theology and the posthuman” module and discussed in class
on February 10.
4. How does the Qur’an legislate social and racial justice? How do Qur’anic statements on
justice inspire 21st -century understandings of racial and social equity? Does the Qur’an
speak to modern concepts of race or ethnic bias? How do emergent multi-ethnic Muslim
communities in North America challenge traditional Muslim conceptions of Muslim
identity and traditional readings of the Qur’an? Note: If you choose this topic, I
encourage you to read and cite some of the essays posted to the “Community, pluralism,
anti-racism” module and discussed in class on January 13, March 8 and March 17, as
well as Ali, “Qur’anic literacy as women’s empowerment,” which we will discuss on
March 24.
5. Analyze Qur’anic narrative: what role does story-telling play in the Qur’an? What
familiar storytelling strategies does the Qur’an use? Why does it sometimes interrupt or
challenge sequential narrative? Why does the Qur’an tell some stories more than once?
How do the Qur’an’s experimental narrative strategies challenge us to see new meanings
in the stories it tells? Note: For this assignment, you may use the resources posted to the
“Narrative and historical event” module.
6. How does the Qur’an understand history? How does the Qur’anic text intersect with
historic event? How does it reflect different historical eras (including the era of
revelation) and speak to different historical eras? How does the peculiar reverse
chronology of the text – with the earliest revelations at the end of the assembled book,
and the later revelations at the beginning – affect the experience we have as readers?
How does it challenge simplistic notions of “before and after” or “cause and effect”?
How does the complex chronological order of the book affect the way that you see the
central surah of the text, surah 18, as fulcrum for the book? This prompt invites you to
reflect on your experience of reading the Qur’an through from beginning to end, and on
the kinds of narrative possibilities it allows you to imagine. Note: For this assignment,
you may use the resources posted to the “Narrative and historical event” module.
Grading rubrics
Note on our grading rubrics: While knowledge of the Qur’an is obviously important in
this course, grading is weighted toward analysis and synthesis in order to encourage engagement
with the Qur’an. You’ll get more credit for thinking carefully about the passages you read than
for citing other, similar passages or supplying context from hadith and sunna.
Total possible points: 100
Knowledge and organization: 15 points
• Excellent (14-15 points): Clear and complete description of Qur’anic passages as
foundation of argument; well-organized and focused
• Adequate (12-13 points): Accurate and sufficient use of the Qur’an to support argument;
well-organized
• Intermediate (10-11 points): Some knowledge of the Qur’an, but inadequate to support
analysis; poorly organized or incomplete
• Not there yet (9 points and less): Incomplete or incoherent description of Qur’anic
citations; insufficient understanding of key concepts; inadequate or confused organization
Analysis: 35 points
• Excellent (32-35 points): Thorough and accurate understanding of Qur’anic themes and
rhetorical features; solid grasp of course themes; evidence of independent thought and
analysis; builds to a clear and focused conclusion
• Adequate (28-31 points): Accurate analysis of thematic and rhetorical features of the
Qur’an; coherent argument and conclusion, but may be unconvincing
• Intermediate (25-27 points): Includes some analysis and interpretation, but does not build
to a coherent conclusion
• Not there yet (24 points and less): Incomplete or incoherent analysis of the text and of
course themes; no conclusion or conclusion insufficiently supported by analysis
Synthesis: 50 points
• Excellent (45-50 points): Compelling, original and insightful discussion, based on
thoughtful reading of the Qur’an and course materials; well-organized and convincing
• Adequate (40-44 points): Thoughtful and well-organized, but does not go beyond topics
discussed in class; conclusions are well-grounded in evidence, but not insightful or
compelling
• Intermediate (35-39 points): Discussion is not sustained from beginning to end, not
supported by the evidence given, or is grounded on errors in reading
• Not there yet (34 points and less): Incomplete or incoherent discussion; unconvincing
conclusion