Feb 8 Public Lecture: Shady H. Nasser (University of Cambridge)

Shady H. Nasser, University Lecturer in Classical Arabic Studies, University of Cambridge (UK)

presents a lecture:

"Is Qurʾān bad Poetry? Evolution and Creationism in the Arabic Literary Tradition"

Monday, February 8, 4:00pm -- Semitic Museum 201

While the Islamic tradition claims that Prophet Muhammad was the most eloquent and articulate of all Arabs, it also denies Muhammad the ability to compose poetry. This talk will discuss defects of poetry as theorized by Arab literary critics and how they positioned the Qurʾān as a superior literary genre within their framework of poetics.

Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University