A view of Park City, Utah, where I\u2019m currently typing. \u00a0There\u2019s a bit less green and a bit more snow here right now than in the photograph above. \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0(Wikimedia Commons public domain)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
One of the courses that I\u2019m teaching this term is a small class on the Qur\u2019an in English. \u00a0Reading this evening in Surah 49 (\u201cThe Private Rooms\u201d) in preparation for tomorrow morning\u2019s class session, I came across this passage as it\u2019s rendered by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem in his Oxford translation:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Believers, if a troublemaker brings you news, check it first, in case you wrong others unwittingly and later regret what you have done. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>(Qur\u2019an 49:6)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Reading that verse, I found myself thinking of anonymous online slanders and slanderers.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Of course, I have to acknowledge that I\u2019ve seen precious little \u201cregret\u201d among those who credit the tales recounted online by malevolent people. \u00a0Too bad. \u00a0Nasty gossip and malicious backbiting have always been evils, but now, thanks to the power of social media, the potential reach of those evils has been vastly amplified.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s another good passage, somewhat akin to the previous one:<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Believers, no one group of men should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; no one group of women should jeer at another, who may after all be better than them; do not speak ill of one another; do not use offensive nicknames for one another. . . . \u00a0Those who do not repent of this misbehavior are evildoers. \u00a0Believers, avoid making too many assumptions \u2014 some assumptions are sinful \u2014 and do not spy on one another or speak ill of people behind their backs. \u00a0<\/span><\/strong>(Qur\u2019an 49:11-12)<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Indeed.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
***<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Speaking of classes, I thought that some might be interested in the list of readings from the syllabus for my Islamic Humanities (IHUM 242) course this term. \u00a0It\u2019s a highly inadequate<\/em> list \u2014 we can\u2019t possibly do justice to the literature of the Islamic world, let alone to the arts more generally, in a single semester, although we do devote some attention to architecture and related matters \u2014 and it\u2019s rather too Persian-leaning, but, still, I think that it includes some really good things:<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Al-Ghazali\u2019s Path to Sufism: His Deliverance from Error (al-Munqidh min al-Dalal)<\/em>, R.J. McCarthy (trans.)<\/span><\/p>\nISBN-10: 1887752307 or ISBN-13: 978-1887752305<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Attar, Conference of the Birds <\/em>(Penguin Classics), Afkham Darbandi (trans.)<\/span><\/p>\nISBN-10: 0140444343 or ISBN-13: 978-0140444346<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nArabian Nights <\/em>(New Deluxe Edition), Muhsin Mahdi (ed.), Hussain Hadawy (trans.)<\/span><\/p>\nISBN-10: 0393331660 or ISBN-13: 978-0393331660<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Spiritual Verses <\/em>(Penguin Classics), Alan Williams (trans.)<\/span><\/p>\nISBN-10: 0140447911 or ISBN-13: 978-0140447910<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ramsay Wood, Kalila and Dimna<\/em>, Vol 1, Fables of Friendship and Betrayal from the Panchatantra, Jatakas, Bidpai, Kalila and Dimnah and Lights of Canopus<\/span><\/p>\nYou should get this on Kindle.<\/span><\/p>\n\n- ISBN-10: 0863566618 or ISBN-13: 978-0863566615<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nizami and Rudolf Gelpke, The Story of Layla and Majnun<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nISBN-10:\u00a00930872525 or ISBN-13:\u00a0978-0930872526<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Ferdowsi and Davis, The Shahnameh: \u00a0The Persian Book of Kings<\/em><\/span><\/p>\nISBN-10:\u00a00143104934 or ISBN-13:\u00a0978-0143104933<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nRubaiyat <\/em>of Omar Khayyam,\u00a0translated by Edward Fitzgerald \u2013 you can access any edition you want.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Posted from Park City, Utah<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 One of the courses that I\u2019m teaching this term is a small class on the Qur\u2019an in English. \u00a0Reading this evening in Surah 49 (\u201cThe Private Rooms\u201d) in preparation for tomorrow morning\u2019s class session, I came across this passage as it\u2019s rendered by M. A. S. Abdel Haleem in his Oxford translation: \u00a0 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-67368","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n
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![\"Park](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/186\/2015\/05\/Park_City_Utah_1.jpg\")
<\/a>