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Reading pre-modern Arabic Texts
Course 2018-2019
Students must have completed BA2 Arabic Literature;
Students wishing to take the course who have not completed BA2 Arabic Literature may join the course if their Arabic level is sufficient, this will be determined by the lecturer and prospective students must seek the lecturer's consent before the beginning of the course.
This course has two goals:
(i) to train students to read pre-modern Arabic literature (i.e. texts written before 1800) in their original Arabic; and
(ii) to teach students how to use Arabic reference tools: such as pre-modern dictionaries, pre-modern geographical lexicons and biographical dictionaries.
The course is divided into three thematic parts. Focus will be on reading and translating Arabic texts with added emphasis on teaching the tools students can use to better understand the Arabic literature.
Over its long literary history, the Arabic language developed, and texts which were considered 'classics' to medieval Muslims often included references and vocabulary that had become archaic or obscure. Medieval Muslims developed a rich literature of commentaries and lexicons to help make the old texts understandable, and the texts we will read in this class will be supplemented by such ancillary Arabic writings.
Students will learn how to use Arabic-Arabic dictionaries to explore the meanings of difficult words encountered, geographical dictionaries to look up place names mentioned in the literature, biographical dictionaries to learn about the people mentioned in the texts, and commentaries on poetry.
All the required Arabic texts will be posted on Blackboard.
Students will:
i) learn to read Arabic literary texts in their original language with the aid of a dictionary;
ii) develop their proficiency in Arabic and Arabic grammar;
iii) learn the skills necessary to use the commentary and ancillary literature;
iv) be able to start using pre-modern Arabic sources for research purposes; and
v) learn about the cultural practices and production in the pre-modern Muslim world.
Seminar.
Attendance and active participation are obligatory for seminars. Students are required to prepare for and attend all sessions. The convenors need to be informed without delay of any classes missed for a good reason (i.e. due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, family issues, problems with residence permits, the Dutch railways in winter, etc.). In these cases it is up to the discretion of the convener(s) of the course whether or not the missed class will have to be made up with an extra assignment. The maximum of such absences during a semester is two. Being absent without notification and/or more than two times can result in exclusion from the term end exams and a failing grade for the course.
Course Load
5 EC x 28 hrs =
140 hrs
Seminar (13 x 2) 26
Study of Arabic texts for translation in class 86
Preparation of homework and poetry assignment 28
Assessment and weighing
Partial Assessment
Participation 10%
Vocabulary Tests 20%
Homework Assignment 10%
Preparation of poem for end of Semester Arabic Party 10%
Final exam 50%
The tests will cover vocabulary encountered in the primary readings
There will be 4 tests, once every 3 weeks during the semester
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average.
Resit
Students who receive a failing grade will have an opportunity to retake the exam which will also count for 50% towards the final grade.
Exam review
If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will be organized.
Blackboard (https://blackboard.leidenuniv.nl/) will be used for:
All compulsory primary texts
Students will receive a detailed week-by-week handout of the required readings at the beginning of the course.
The detailed syllabus and readings will also be available on Blackboard.
In preparation for the course, students may wish to consult the following:
Allen, Roger, The Arabic Literary Heritage. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2005.
Young, Latham and Serjeant (eds), Religion, Learning and Science in the Abbasid Period. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1990.
Cachia, Pierre, Arabic Literature: an overview. London: Routledge, 2003.
Enrolment through uSis is mandatory.
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Haneen Omari
The university is committed to supporting and accommodating students with disabilities as stated in the university protocol (especially pages 3-5). Students should contact Fenestra Disability Centre
H.E.K. Omari MA
5852VRPMA
Middle Eastern Studies: Arabic Bachelor
Elective choice
Evening course
Hours of study (excl. self-study): 26h
Practical work
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