Religion in the Egyptian Novel

Author(s):  
Christina Phillips

Religion has played a major role in the Arabic novel since its inception. From the first forays into realism in the early decades of the twentieth century to the technically sophisticated and experimental works of the late 1960s to the present, the Arabic novel has consistently engaged with religious themes and issues. This book is an original, in-depth study of the intricate and enduring relationship between religion and the Arabic novel in Egypt. Part One addresses questions of form and ideology and explores the role of religion in the Arabic novel as it came of age. It examines religion in a selection of early works in the context of nation formation, modernity and secularism, and develops a concept of religion as the ‘other’, with all the tension and ambivalence that this implies. Part Two explores religious themes and subjects in the Arabic novel from the late 1960s onwards. Through close readings of representative texts, it analyses intertextual dialogues with religion (chapter 5) Sufi dimensions (chapter 6), the Coptic theme (chapter 7) and feminist literary engagements with Islam and Christianity (chapter 8) in the Arabic novel. The essential question underpinning the study is why and how is the Arabic novel, as a modern form which eschews faith and dogma, so heavily involved with religion and what does this reveal about religious, secular and novelistic discourse?

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-80
Author(s):  
Pius M. Osuntuyi ◽  
Adenike O. Ireyomi ◽  
Oluwasegun P. Aluko

It is no news that countries all over the world are faced with one challenge or the other. Outstanding among all is the challenge of insecurity of lives and properties. In Nigeria, there is the scourge of internet fraudsters known as Yahoo Yahoo, which have swindled many unsuspecting victims their hard-earned resources. Interestingly, the teaming youth population are the major players when it comes to this societal menace. Despite various efforts being put in place by the government to forestall the activities of these fraudsters, the propagators have sought other avenues to continue to be relevant in their nefarious acts. Thus, using questionnaire and in-depth interviews to gather its data, the study traced the trend that led to the engagement of youths‘ in Yahoo Yahoo. It analysed the effect of the practice of Yahoo Yahoo. It also examined the major religions (Indigenous religion, Islam, and Christianity) in the country and the roles they play in mitigating against the Yahoo Yahoo phenomenon in the country.


2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-81
Author(s):  
Mohd A’Tarahim Mohd Razali Bin Mohd Razali ◽  
Mohd Yakub @ Zulkifli Mohd Yusoff Bin Mohd Yusoff ◽  
Nor Hafizi Yusof Bin Yusof ◽  
Siti Fatimah Salleh Binti Salleh ◽  
Mohd Faiz Hakimi Mat Deris Bin Mat Deris ◽  
...  

The aim of this study is to explore the importance of Qira’at Mutawatirah as a discipline particularly in the field of fiqh (jurisprudence). As a field of study, Qiraat (Quranic reading) plays a significant role in Islamic Fiqh by way of shaping the opinions and views of the fuqaha’ (jurists). Nevertheless, some fuqaha’ are less familiar with Qiraat as a study which has thus led to some confusion and ambiguity on the matter. It was even suggested that the differences of fiqh found within the madzhabs (sects) are based on the fuqaha’s own Qiraat. Thus this paper is a discussion on the differences of wajh Qiraat within the farsh letters as found among the Qiraat scholars. This paper also analyses the relationship and influence of the Qiraat readings among the fuqaha when it comes to deriving a hukm (principle), particularly on fiqh ibadah (the laws of worship). As such, this significant study sheds light into the approach used by the fuqaha’ when it comes to extracting and deriving laws and principles based on the different Qiraat readings. The objectives of this study are to investigate the extent and role of Qiraat, to analyse and observe the relationship between Qiraat readings of the fuqaha and its relationship to the hukm. This study is based entirely on library research. Overall, the findings show that Qiraat is undoubtedly important; the differences in Qiraat have a major impact in the way that the various Islamic Fiqh were derived from the Qur’anic verses. Nevertheless, the chosen Qiraat readings by Fuqaha, on the other hand, do not play a major role in determining the fiqh within the various sects; instead the wajh Qiraat plays a major role within their respective sects. However, in some circumstances, the chosen Qiraat readings do sometimes become a source which a hukm is decided within their sects, and vice versa. It is hoped that this study becomes a pioneer for other researchers to conduct a more in-depth study on the sciences of Qiraat by exploring it critically within the various perspectives of the Islamic discipline. It is hoped that it can be analysed, studied, understood and implemented in the field of teaching and learning, in line with its importance within the other branches of Islamic discipline. It is hoped that as a study, it can be further expanded and remain significant to the Islamic scholars and the community at large. Keyword: Qiraat Mutawatirah, Fiqh, Qiraat, fuqaha‘   Penulisan ini bertujuan merungkai hubungan rapat Qiraat dalam disiplin ilmu Islam terutamanya ilmu Fiqh. Qiraat menjadi salah satu faktor yang dominan terutamanya dalam mencorakkan perbezaan hukum Fiqh Islami dalam kalangan Fuqaha’. Namun masih terdapat kalangan yang kurang mengetahui dan memahami hakikat kewujudan ilmu Qiraat sehingga menimbulkan kekeliruan dan kesamaran mengenainya bahkan wujudnya pendapat menyatakan bahawa hukum fiqh yang diinstibatkan dalam mazhab adalah berdasarkan daripada Qiraat yang dibaca oleh kalangan fuqaha itu sendiri. Justeru kajian ini akan menyentuh dan membincangkan perbezaan wajh qiraat yang terdapat pada farsh huruf dalam kalangan ulama Qiraat. Dalam masa yang sama, kajian ini juga akan menyingkap dan menganalisis perkaitan dan pengaruhnya terhadap pengeluaran hukum oleh kalangan Fuqaha’ terutama ayat-ayat al-Quran yang melibatkan fiqh ibadat. Kajian ini penting demi memahami keadaan sebenar bagaimana kalangan Fuqaha mengeluarkan hukum fiqh berdasarkan perbezaan Qiraat. Objektif kajian ialah mengkaji sejauhmana perkaitan dan peranan Qiraat pada hukum fiqh, menganalisis dan menilai sejauh mana pertalian bacaan Qiraat yang dibaca Fuqaha’ dengan hukum yang diinstibatkan oleh Fuqaha.’ Secara keseluruhannya, kajian ini dijalankan berdasarkan kajian ke perpustakaan sepenuhnya. Ternyata dapatan hasil kajian ini merumuskan bahawa perbezaan Qiraat pula memberi impak yang besar dalam mencorakkan hukum fiqh dalam ayat al-Quran. Bacaan ‘Qiraat PilihanFuqaha‘ pula tidaklah menjadi faktor utama mempengaruhi hukum fiqh mazhab yang diasaskan oleh mereka bahkan fuqaha hanya menjadikan wajh Qiraat itu sebagai platform utama dalam menentukan hukum fiqh dalam mazhab yang diasaskan mereka. Namun tidak dinafikan juga, bacaan ‘Qiraat Pilihan Fuqaha‘ itu kekadang menjadi sebab penentuan hukum bagi mazhab mereka dan kekadangnya sebaliknya. Kajian ini diharap menjadi perintis kepada pengkaji yang lain untuk lebih prolifik mengenai ilmu Qiraat dalam membahaskannya dari pelbagai sudut disiplin ilmu Islam secara lebih kritis supaya ia dapat ditelaah, dikaji, difahami, diperkasai dan diimplimentasikan dalam aspek pengajaran dan pembelajaran sejajar dengan kepentingannya terhadap cabangan ilmu-ilmu Islam yang lain agar terus berkembang dan bertapak pada kaca mata Ilmuan Islam secara khusus dan masyarakat sejagat secara umumnya.   Kata Kunci: Qiraat Mutawatirah, Fiqh, Qiraat, fuqaha‘.


2010 ◽  
Vol 133-134 ◽  
pp. 187-192
Author(s):  
Maria Paola Gatti ◽  
Giorgio Cacciaguerra

For reinforced concrete, we may consider two histories: one focuses on the influence reinforced concrete has exerted on the process of renewal of the architecture of twentieth century; the other pertains to the manners in which the development of this material effectively came about in various geographic areas. The research group at the University of Trento analysed the complex of military constructions produced in the city, and, specifically, it undertook in-depth study of the manner in which the use of reinforced concrete spread to civilian architecture.


Author(s):  
Christina Phillips

This chapter introduces the topic of religion and literature, theorises the novel as a secular genre, and develops a concept of religion as the other in the Arabic novel. It begins with a discussion of the relationship between religion and literature, identifying imagination, metaphorical language and mythos as areas of overlap, before turning to the question of religion and the Arabic novel as a modern form which eschews faith and dogma but is nevertheless packed with religious themes, images, characters, language and intertextuality. This is accounted for by the form’s secularism, which is theorised in terms of Charles Taylor’s conditions of belief. Literary secularism is not static and stable however, thus religion emerges as the other in the Egyptian novel, with all the ambivalence which alterity characteristically entails. This religious other calls into question postcolonial studies’ over-valorisation of the East/West binary insofar as it has obscured the critical role of religion in Arab postcolonial literature and identity.


Author(s):  
Douglas Cairns

Thymos (or thumos), cognate with Indo-European words meaning “smoke,” is one of a number of terms in Greek which associate psychological activity with air and breath. In the Homeric poems, thymos is one of a family of terms associated with internal psychological process of thought, emotion, volition, and motivation. Though the range of the term’s applications in Homer is wide, that in itself gives us a sense of the unity of cognitive, affective, and desiderative processes in Homeric psychology. No post-Homeric author can rival that range, but something of the richness of the Homeric conception of thymos as an interrelated set of motivations re-emerges in Plato’s conception of the tripartite soul in the Republic and the Phaedrus. Plato’s thymos represents a pared-down model of human agency typified by one central desire or aim in life but also exhibiting whatever further capacities of persons are necessary to enable it to pursue that aim in interaction with the other elements of the personality. As in Homer, the metaphorical agency of Plato’s thymos does not detract from the notion of the individual as the real centre of agency. Plato’s conception of thymos, in turn, is a fundamental point of reference for Aristotle’s treatment of thymos as a type of desire (orexis). Though Aristotle tends more generally to use the term as a synonym for orgē (anger), there are also traces of older associations between thymos and qualities such as assertiveness and goodwill towards others. Elsewhere, thymos tends to mean “heart” or “mind” (as aspects of mental functioning), “spirit,” “inclination,” or “anger.” A selection of these uses is surveyed, but the article overall concentrates on Homer, Plato, and Aristotle, where the role of thymos is of a different order of importance.


Religions ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mona M. Abo-Zena ◽  
Allegra Midgette

Religious and spiritual experiences have implications for many aspects of development across the lifespan, including during early childhood. A focus on religion and spirituality expands beyond a discrete domain of social science (e.g., cognitive development) and involves developmental, social-psychological, affective and emotional phenomena, and personality. This conceptual paper contributes to the literature regarding the understudied role of religion and spirituality in the lives of young children and their families in order to contribute to a comprehensive study of human development. After a concise review of the literature on religious development, this paper draws from the sociocultural perspective and illustrative examples of lived experiences to frame young children’s religious participation and gives particular consideration to religious minorities. While the sociocultural perspective captures the range of children’s experiences, this manuscript introduces the understudied role of emotion as a motivator for children’s selection of experiences. The paper concludes with implications for practitioners and suggestions for future research, practice, and policy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Cotterrell

AbstractThe work of the Polish–Russian scholar Leon Petrażycki from the early decades of the twentieth century holds a strikingly paradoxical position in the literature of juristic and socio-legal scholarship: on the one hand, lauded as a supremely valuable contribution to knowledge about the nature of law and, on the other, widely neglected and little known. This paper asks how far Petrażycki's theories, expressed in writings by and about him available to an international readership, can provide insight for contemporary socio-legal studies – not as historical background but as living ideas. How far can his work speak to current issues and inform current debates? What obstacles stand in the way of this? Why have few international scholars engaged with his theories despite their rigour and originality? The paper starts from this last issue before addressing the others. It argues that Petrażycki's radical legal theory offers strikingly distinctive resources for rethinking issues about the role of law in multicultural societies, the nature of developing transnational law, and the significance of law as an aspect or expression of culture.


Author(s):  
Clemena Antonova

This chapter begins from a simple observation, namely, that what has been called ‘the Russian religious renaissance of the twentieth century’ coincided in time with two important movements in the sphere of the visual arts. On the one hand, there was a sweeping revival of interest in the medieval icon at the beginning of the twentieth century, which left almost no sphere of cultural life untouched. On the other, in artistic terms, the whole period was largely defined by the advent of the Russian avant-garde. I would like to consider the junction at which these three developments overlapped, informed, influenced, even opposed and clashed with one another. According to the interpretation proposed here, it is the mixture and the coexistence of a revived Orthodoxy, a reawakened focus on the medieval artistic tradition, and the rise of avant-garde modernism that gave a unique flavour to early twentieth-century Russian culture. The debates on the function and the meaning of the icon in the period between the 1910s and the early 1920s ultimately suggested different answers to the problem of the role of religion in modernity.


2002 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 90-111
Author(s):  
Jerald D. Gort

AbstractAfter reflecting on the ambiguous role of religion in terms of violence, Jerald D. Gort in this article outlines, first, the conditions for true reconciliation among peoples (acknowledgement of Christian complicity; no cheap reconciliation; no utopian enthusiasm; no fatalistic view of human capacity); then, second, he outlines the initiatives ofthe World Council of Churches (WCC) toward justice and reconciliation in the world. Such initiatives involve the struggle against injustice on the one hand and a practice of the "wider ecumenism" (dialogue of histories, theologies, spiritualities, and life) on the other.


2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 927-960 ◽  
Author(s):  
RICHARD WESTERMAN

For European literati of the early twentieth century, Fyodor Dostoevsky represented a mythically Russian spirituality in contrast to a soulless, rationalized West. One such enthusiast was Georg Lukács, who in 1915 began a never-completed book about Dostoevsky's work, a model of spiritual community that could redeem a fallen world. Though framing his analysis in the language and themes of broader Dostoevsky reception, Lukács used this idiom innovatively to go beyond the reactionary implications this model might connote. Highlighting similarities with Max Weber's account of political ethics, I argue that Lukács developed an ethic derived from his reading of Dostoevsky, which focused on the idea of a hero defined by an ability to resolve the specific ethical dilemma of adherence to duty and moral law on the one hand, and, on the other, the need to restore spontaneous human community at a time when the social institutions embodying such laws had fallen into decay. Crucially, he deployed the same framework after his conversion to Marxism to justify revolutionary terror. However different his position from Dostoevsky's, it was through engagement with these novels that Lukács not only clarified his thought but also came to identify Lenin as a Dostoevskyan hero figure.


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