Book Discussion Groups

Included among the events for Muslim Journeys were three book discussions:

Muhammad: A Very Short Introduction by Jonathan A. C. Brown
February 19, 2014
Led by Dr. Brian Mann, Assistant Professor of History

To the world’s 1.5 billion Muslims, the founder of their faith, the Prophet Muhammad, is history’s most significant figure. Born in 570 CE in the city of Mecca, on the Arabian Peninsula, Muhammad underwent a series of mystical experiences, believed by Muslims to be revelations from the archangel Gabriel. e holy book of Islam, the Qur’an, is a compilation of these revelations and is thus regarded by Muslims as divinely inspired. In a “very short” study, Jonathan A.C. Brown analyzes the Prophet’s life and his place in Islamic scholarship (siras) and traditions (sunnah). Brown also explains some of the different interpretations of Muhammad’s life within Islamic and Western thought.

The Story of the Qur'an by Ingrid Mattson
March 5, 2014
Led by Dr. Ahmed Abou-Zaid, Professor of Economics

The Story of the Qur’an begins with an accessible account of the origins of the Qur’an that places Muhammad, the Muslim holy book and the first adherents to Islam in historical context. Ingrid Mattson, a professor of Islamic studies, uses translated passages from the Qur’an, as well as scholarly sources and stories from the time of Muhammad, to give readers a sense of the language, imagery and rhythm of the Qur’an. Mattson also explains how the Qur’an has been transmitted both as recitation and scripture, “the voice and the pen,” from Islam’s formative days to the present. She describes the Qur’an’s role in Muslim culture and daily life, and provides a guide to its traditions and sources of interpretation, cautioning casual readers and others who might pull verses out of context to take care in trying to ascertain what all Muslims believe or are mandated to do.

The Art of Hajj by Venetia Porter
March 26, 2014
Led by Dr. Brian Mann, Assistant Professor of History

In the Qur’an, Muslims are instructed that at least once in their lives they must take part in the hajj, the annual pilgrimage to Mecca, the spiritual center of the Islamic world. Over the centuries, artists, crafts-people and others have found innumerable ways to articulate the experience, from calligraphy to decorative tiles and textiles, even scientific instruments, maps and metalwork. These and other media of expression are captured in this profusely illustrated book by distinguished curator Venetia Porter.

A Rumi Anthology Translated by Reynold A. Nicholson
April 9, 2014
Led by Dr. Jaysinha Shinde, Assistant Professor of Business

Jalal al-Din Rúmí (1207-73), popularly known simply as Rúmí, was the greatest Sufi mystic and poet in the Persian language, famous for his lyrics and for his didactic epic Masnavi-yi Ma’navi (spiritual couplets), which widely influenced mystical thought and literature throughout the Muslim world. Rúmí’s poetry is widely popular with American readers, and collections of his poetry are available in a variety of editions. The complier of the poems in this edition, Reynold A. Nicholson, translated them directly from the Persian language. They are among the most authentic versions of these poems available to English-language readers.