Tag Archives: Annual Meeting

Conference Schedule Available! IQSA 2023 Annual Meeting

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IQSA’s Conference Schedule for the 2023 Annual Meeting held in San Antonio from November 17-20 is now available! Find the schedule for program units and special events below.

Please note that registration is required to attend the Annual Meeting (in person only). Register as a Member of an Affiliate Organization. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the Affiliate link and choose “International Qur’anic Studies Association” in the drop-down menu.

IQSA Events 2023

P17-105
Qur’anic Studies: Methodology and Hermeneutics (IQSA)
11/17/2023
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: Quranic Inimitability (ijaz) and Coherence

Yousef Wahb, University of Chicago Divinity School
Early iʿjāz al-Qurān Debates: The Transition from Kalām to Balāgha in the Ninth and Tenth Century (20 min)

Murtaza Shakir, Aljamea-tus-Saifiyah, Mumbai
The Doctrine of Iʿjāz al-Qurʾān (Inimitability of the Qurʾān), as Explained in the Majālis of the Fāṭimī Dāʿī al-Muʾayyad al- Shīrāzī (20 min)

Ersin Kabakci, Hitit University, Faculty of Theology
What Does the Qurʾān’s Being a Holistic Text Mean? An Analysis in the Context of Five Different Approaches (20 min)

Romain Louge, Université Catholique de Lyon
A Reading of Some Qur’anic Passages with the Help of an Arabic kalām in al-Qāsim al Rassī (20 min)

P17-207
Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus (IQSA)
11/17/2023
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: Law and Society in the Medinan Qur’an

Saqib Hussain, Loyola Marymount University
The Hypocrites and the Jews of Medina (25 min)

Nora K. Schmid, University of Hamburg/ University of Oxford
The Story of the Slander (ḥadīth al-ifk): Legal Storytelling in the Qur’an and the Sīra (25 min)

Thomas Hoffmann, University of Copenhagen
The Qurʾān’s Complex Carceral Whole (25 min)

Karen Bauer, The Institute of Ismaili Studies, London
Qur’anic law from Mecca to Medina (25 min)

Holger Zellentin, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Biblical Law in the Medinan Surahs (25 min)

Discussion (25 min)

P17-301a
The Qur’an and Late Antiquity (IQSA)
11/17/2023
4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk

Irem Kurt, Universität Osnabrück
The Dichotomy of Food Purity: The Qurʾānic Terms khabīth and ṭayyib in the Context of the Urgemeinde of the Qurʾān (30 min)

Hannelies Koloska, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Tasting and Seeing the Divine: The Qur’anic Engagement with Late Antique Sensory Piety (30 min)

Emran El-Badawi, University of Houston
Q 113–114 and the Amulet of Alexandra: An Exploration (30 min)

Feras Q. Hamza, Institute of Ismaili Studies, London
Patrons and Patronage in the Qur’an (30 min)

Chris Mezger, Yale University and Hannah Stork, Yale University
The Precanonical Transmission of the Quran(s): Andreas Kaplony and Quranic Intertextuality (30 min)

P17-401
International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA)
11/17/2023
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: Presidential Address

IQSA’s General Reception will follow the Presidential Address from 8-9pm, featuring a special presentation by De Gruyter Publishers. Details to come.

P18-129
Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus (IQSA)
11/18/2023
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk

Theme: Discursive Tools within the Qur’anic Corpus

Abdulla Galadari, Khalifa University of Science & Technology
Clear or Veiled? A Linguistic Attempt to Solve a Qur’anic Paradox (25 min)

Valerie Gonzalez, SOAS, University of London
Understanding Quranic Eschatology through a Peircean Semiotic Reading of the Concepts of Mithal and Isharat (25 min)

Avigail Noy, The University of Texas at Austin
Mathal in the Qur’an and in Poetry: Insights from the Literary Critics (25 min)

Johanne Louise Christiansen, University of Southern Denmark
“We Have Made the Qur’an Easy to Remember, but Are There Any That Are Reminded?” (Q al-Qamar/54:17, 22, 32, 40): The Memory Challenge of Qur’anic Education (25 min)

Masoud Ariankhoo, Harvard University
The Misguiding God: Intratextual Analysis of Ighwāʾ as a Gateway to Qur’anic Satanology (25 min)

Discussion (25 min)

Graduate Student Luncheon
11/18/2023
11:00 AM  – 1:30 PM
Luncheon for registered graduate students and early career scholars. Event will be held offsite – email contactus@iqsaweb.org for details.

P18-245
The Societal Qur’an (IQSA)
11/18/2023
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: Sura Studies and The Societal Qur’an

Anne-Sylvie Boisliveau, University of Strasbourg (France)
Proto-juz’ ‘Amma Practice: First Centuries Debates about Short Suras Recitation (30 min)

Zakir Demir, Siirt University
The Structure of Sûrah al-Kawthar and Critique of the Claim to be an Independent Miracle (30 min)

Ashher Masood, Yale University
Al-Kawthar and Abraham (30 min)

Adam Flowers, University of Chicago
The Qur’ān as a Tool of Rebellion and Counter-Rebellion in the Early Islamicate World (30 min)

Zeinab Vessal, Graduate Theological Union (GTU) in Berkeley
Rayat-E-Nasr Ayat: The Quranic Verses in a Safavid Victory Banner (30 min)

Shawkat Toorawa, Yale University, Presiding

P18-335
Qur’anic Studies: Methodology and Hermeneutics (IQSA)
11/18/2023
4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: Quranic Visions of Warfare, Death, and Hell

Mohammad Hassan Khalil, Michigan State University
The Peculiar “Kill Yourselves” Command (Qur’an 2:54) and Al-Maturidi’s Conception of Qur’anic Consistency (20 min)

Javad T. Hashmi, Harvard University
Jihād Until No Fitna: The Pious Manipulation and Theological Militarization of the Qurʾān by the Medieval Exegetes of Islam (20 min)

Andrew O’Connor, St Norbert College
Conversations around the (Hell)fire: Dialogue of the Dead and Damned in the Qur’an (20 min)

P19-144
The Qur’an and Late Antiquity (IQSA)
11/19/2023
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk

Juan Cole, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
The “Seven Sleepers” Tale inSūrat al-Kahf as an Allegory for the Sasanian Conquest (30 min)

Raymond K. Farrin, American University of Kuwait
Astronomical Events of 607 and 614 CE and the Early Meccan Qur’an (30 min)

Mohsen Goudarzi, Harvard University
Twilight of the Cults: Ancient Worship, Its Discontents, and Religious Polemic in the Qur’anic Milieu (30 min)

Paul Neuenkirchen, University of Bern
Remembrance of God, Prayer, and Constancy as Ways of Fighting Demons Between the Qur’an and Late Antique Ascetic Writings (30 min)

Daniel Bannoura, University of Notre Dame
Iltifāt in the Qurʾān: An examination based on Late Antique literary practices (30 min)

P19-234
Qur’anic Studies: Methodology and Hermeneutics (IQSA)
11/19/2023
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: Shi’i Ismaili and Sufi Interpretations of the Quran

Khalil Andani, Augustana College (IL)
The Imam as Speaking Quran in Ismaili Muslim Exegesis and Practice (20 min)

Syed A.H. Zaidi, Emory University
The Brethren of Purity’s Intertextual Approach to the Qurʾān (20 min)

Stephen Cúrto, Union College, Union County NJ
The Qurʾān and Vedas as Ginānic Motifs: Theological Implications and Exegetical Interrelationships (20 min)

P19-341
The Societal Qur’an (IQSA)
11/19/2023
4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: The Societal Qur’an

Lauren Osborne, Whitman College, Presiding

Johanna Pink, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg
Beauty and Piety: Framing and Unframing the Qur’an as World Literature in Twentieth-Century Europe (30 min)

Mykhaylo Yakubovych, Freiburg University, Germany
A State-Supported Hermeneutics? The Theology of Translations of the Qur’an by the Turkish Presidency of Religious Affairs (30 min)

Riccardo Amerigo Vigliermo, Unimore, FSCIRE
The “Corano di Maometto”, a Qur’ānic Partial Traduction in Italian Language from the “Biblioteca Universale” Sonzogno (30 min)

Tehseen Thaver, Princeton University
Exegetical Space and the Shaping of Shi‘i Identity: Shaykh Abu al-Futuh al-Razi’s Persian Qur’an Commentary (30 min)

Francesca Badini, FSCIRE (Palermo)
The Qur’ān as an Instrument of Education: The Legacy of Ḥasan al-Bannā in Muḥammad al-Ġazālī (30 min)

P20-146
The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition (IQSA)
11/20/2023
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk
Theme: The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition 1

Rushain Abbasi, Stanford University and Orit Malka, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
“Bear Witness, for I Bear Witness with You” (Q.3:81): The Concept of Shahāda in the Quran and Its Biblical Subtext (30 min)

Rachel Claire Dryden, University of Southern Denmark
Q 2:26 “God Is Not Ashamed to Strike a Mathal,” (inna allāha lā yastaḥyi an yaḍriba mathalan): Amthāl as an Educational Norm in the Qur’ān? (30 min)

Stephen Burge, Institute of Ismaili Studies
“Cry ‘Havoc!’ and Let Slip the Dogs of War”: Angelic Armies and Martial Language in the Biblical Tradition and the Qur’an (30 min)

Gabriel Said Reynolds, Notre Dame
Christianity as a Conversation Partner of the Qur’an (30 min)

Asad Uz Zaman, Ohio State University
The Qur’anic Rejection of an Enochian Etiology of Evil: A Look at Q18:50–51 and Q2:28–39 (30 min)

P20-240
The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition (IQSA)
11/20/2023
1:00 PM to 3:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk

Theme: The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition 2

David Penchansky, University of Saint Thomas (Saint Paul, MN)
A Brief Rumor Narrative in Surat-al-Nur and Related Biblical Passages (30 min)

Heydar Davoudi, Northwestern University
Mushite and Aaronite Priesthoods in the Hebrew Bible and the Qurʾān (30 min)

Shari L. Lowin, Stonehill College
“Say: Whosoever Is an Enemy to Gabriel”: Q 2:97 and the Destruction of the Temple (30 min)

Shlomo Zuckier, Institute for Advanced Study and David Gyllenhaal, Institute for Advanced Study
The Puns of Sin: Q2:58-59 in Light of Muqātil b. Sulaymān’s Tafsīr and Its Use of Hebrew Scripture (30 min)

Tugrul Kurt, Humboldt-Universität zu Berli
The Identification of Christians in the Qurʿan: Christian Groups in the Exegesis of Muqātil Ibn Sulaymān (d.150/767) and Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (d. 310/923) (30 min)

, Intertextuality (Interpretive Approaches), Comparative Religion / History of Religion (Comparative Religion / History of Religion)

P20-342
The Qur’an: Manuscripts and Textual Criticism (IQSA)
11/20/2023
4:00 PM to 6:30 PM
Room: Salon A – Marriott Riverwalk

Abdallah A Elkhatib, Qatar University
A Verse Count Analysis OF MSS Marcel 5, Arabe 335, Leiden Or. 14.545 A and Other MSS Some of the Oldest Qurʾān Fragments in Western Libraries (30 min)

Marijn van Putten, Leiden University
The Scribal Appendices of Three Mamluk Mushafs and the Crystallization of the al-Dūrī/al-Sūsī Divide (30 min)

Hythem Sidky, International Qur?anic Studies Association
Making the Case for Qurʾānic Case: Evidence for the Existence of an Early Qurʾānic Literary Register (30 min)

Discussion (30 min)

Deadline TODAY! Call for Papers – IQSA Annual Meeting 2023

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Today is the deadline to submit paper proposals for IQSA’s Annual Meeting to be held in San Antonio, Texas from November 17-20, 2023. Paper proposals should be submitted through the SBL’s automated online submission system under the corresponding “Affiliates” link by March 14, 2023 (note: IQSA membership is required for proposal submission; see below). Paper proposals will be accepted through 11:59 PM (23:59) US Eastern Time (UTC-4). Submission links can be found below under the respective program units. If you require further information or experience difficulties with the submission process, please contact the chairs of the program unit to which you would like to apply.

Please note that all proposals must include:

  • Author name and affiliation
  • Paper title
  • 400 word paper abstract (written in English)

Eligibility for proposal submissions is contingent upon the following:

  • Active IQSA membership is required at the time of proposal submission for the IQSA Program, and the membership status of all applicants will be checked prior to acceptance
  • Participants must maintain current IQSA Membership through their participation in the Annual Meeting

Please also note that:

  • To ensure equity and diversity amongst participants, participants should submit only one paper presentation per IQSA Annual Meeting
  • All participants must adhere to IQSA’s Professional Conduct Policy
  • Participants will be required to register for the conference by submitting payment through SBL’s online submission system (users are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the “Super Saver” rates which end mid-May)

The Annual Meeting includes panels for each of IQSA’s seven program units:

Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus

The Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus unit invites proposals for papers that engage with the study of the Qur’an from a literary standpoint and examine aspects such as rhetorical devices, literary motifs, characterization, themes, voices, sound, structure of passages or surahs, etc. While the unit welcomes proposals that explore any of these aspects, this year we particularly encourage papers that utilize linguistic, literary, and thematic perspectives to study the legal and prescriptive material found in Medinan surahs and verses.

Manuscripts and Textual Criticism

The aim of the Qur’an: Manuscripts and Textual Criticism unit is to provide a cross-disciplinary setting for the exploration of the various interconnected issues that arise when questions concerning the Qur’an’s text are investigated through the prism of its manuscript tradition. This latter term encompasses the field of Qur’an manuscripts per se, but also alludes to such information regarding the history of the text that can be gleaned from the citations, marginal notes, and detailed analysis provided in other branches of the Islamic sciences, for example Qur’an commentaries and the qira’at literature. It is hoped that bringing together scholars from a variety of disciplines will serve to enrich and strengthen each of these fields. The Manuscripts and Textual Criticism unit seeks to create a forum for the application of textual criticism to the Qur’anic text attested both in physical manuscripts and within the wider Islamic tradition. It also aims to investigate palaeographic, codicological, and art historical features in the Qur’an’s manuscript tradition. For the 2023 meeting in San Antonio, the unit welcomes papers on any topic within the range of the interests of the Manuscripts and Textual Criticism program unit. For the 2023 meeting in San Antonio, the unit welcomes papers on any topic within the range of the interests of the Manuscripts and Textual Criticism program unit.

The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition

The focus of this unit is the Qur’an’s relationship to the Biblical tradition in the broadest sense: the books of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament in the various languages of their original composition and later translations (regardless of a particular book’s status of canonization within specific Jewish or Christian groups), as well as the exegetical, homiletic, and narrative traditions of the Bible in written or oral form. For the 2023 meeting in San Antonio, the Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition unit welcomes proposals that engage any aspect of the relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an.

Qur’anic Studies: Methodology and Hermeneutics

The Methodology and Hermeneutics Unit invites proposals for papers that focus on the theological and hermeneutical relationship between the Qur’an and extra-Qur’anic sources of truth or authority, including the prophetic Sunna, communal Sunna, consensus (ijma’), the Shi’i Imams and their Sunna, hadith literature, biographical literature (sira), formative exegetical literature (tafsir), the rulings of Muslim scholars (‘ulama’), the Sufi shuyukh or Sufi poetry, mystical unveiling (kashf), studies of the material universe, intellect, and so forth.

For example, proposed papers could consider:

  • The hermeneutical relationship between the Qur’an and the prophetic Sunna; for instance, in how hadith, sīra, or “occasions of revelation” (asbāb al-nuzūl) impact exegesis;  
  • How principles from Islamicate philosophy (falsafa) or theology (kalām) are used to exegete the Qur’an, or how specific verses become significant within Muslim ontological and cosmological discourse;
  • How the idea of the Imams as the authoritative interpreters of the Qur’an influences exegesis in Shiʾī Islam;
  • How Sufi works of literature like the Mathnawī of Rūmi or Divān of Hāfiz distill the Qur’an for popular audiences;
  • How Sufi exegetes read the Quran through the lenses of mystical principles and spiritual experience;
  • Ways in which modern and contemporary Qur’anic interpretation adheres to or departs from influential premodern methods of tafsīr, and so forth.

Surah Studies

The Surah Studies Unit invites proposals for individual papers on any of the 37 surahs in the 30th juz’ (Juz’ ‘Amma), viz. from Surat al-Naba’ (78, “The Announcement”) to Surat al-Nas (114, “Humanity”). Proposals about any aspect of any surah—or cluster of surahs—are welcome. Proposals which can take our collective thinking in new directions are especially encouraged. These might broach (1) such general themes as: addressee(s), chronology and dating, the eschaton, oaths and oracular language, rhyme and rhythm, or textual cruxes; (2) topics specific to particular surahs, such as: astral imagery and phenomena in Surat al-Buruj (85, “The Constellations”) or Surat al-Takwir (81, “Rolling Up”), non-human beings in Surat al-Nazi‘at (79, “The Dispatchers”), Surat al-‘Alaq (96, “The Clot”), and Surat al-Fil (105, “The War Elephant”), or the language of commerce and trade and wealth in Surat al-Takathur (102, “Vying”) and Surat al-Ma‘un (107, “Liberality?”); or (3) devotional, liturgical and recitational aspects of the surahs and the juz’. The Surah Studies Unit welcomes diverse methods and new approaches. The raison d’être of the Unit is specifically to bring different perspectives into dialogue with one another.

The Qur’an and Late Antiquity

For the 2023 IQSA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, the Qur’an and Late Antiquity program unit invites proposals that utilize various types of material or evidence—be that literary, documentary, or epigraphic—to illuminate the historical context in which the Qur’an was revealed and the early Islamic polity emerged. We are especially interested in papers that present and discuss new and comparative methodologies to approach the interplay between Late Antique phenomenon and the Qur’an.

The Societal Qur’an

The Societal Qur’an unit invites proposals for papers that investigate the Qur’an in its lived and societal contexts throughout history, from Late Antiquity to contemporary Late Modernity. Papers might, for instance, discuss topics such as:(1) ritual uses of the Qur’an; (2) practices of teaching the Qur’an; (3) talismanic and medical uses of the Qur’an; (4) the production of manuscript, print, and new media versions of the Qur’an and their commodification; (5) the role of the Qur’an in public debates, political organisation, and identity building; (6) the Qur’an in arts and media; (7) multilingual representations of the Qur’an. Proposals are encouraged that engage with sociological, anthropological, and political science theories and methods in their pursuit of the societal and lived Qur’an.

Questions? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org! We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio!

Call for Papers: IQSA Annual Meeting 2023

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The International Qur’anic Studies Association has opened its call for papers for its Annual Meeting to be held in San Antonio, Texas from November 17-20, 2023. Paper proposals should be submitted through the SBL’s automated online submission system under the corresponding “Affiliates” link by March 14, 2023 (note: IQSA membership is required for proposal submission; see below). Submission links can be found below under the respective program units. If you require further information or experience difficulties with the submission process, please contact the chairs of the program unit to which you would like to apply.

Please note that all proposals must include:

  • Author name and affiliation
  • Paper title
  • 400 word paper abstract (written in English)

Eligibility for proposal submissions is contingent upon the following:

  • Active IQSA membership is required at the time of proposal submission for the IQSA Program, and the membership status of all applicants will be checked prior to acceptance
  • Participants must maintain current IQSA Membership through their participation in the Annual Meeting

Please also note that:

  • To ensure equity and diversity amongst participants, participants should submit only one paper presentation per IQSA Annual Meeting
  • All participants must adhere to IQSA’s Professional Conduct Policy
  • Participants will be required to register for the conference by submitting payment through SBL’s online submission system (users are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the “Super Saver” rates which end mid-May)

The Annual Meeting includes panels for each of IQSA’s seven program units:

Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus

The Linguistic, Literary, and Thematic Perspectives on the Qur’anic Corpus unit invites proposals for papers that engage with the study of the Qur’an from a literary standpoint and examine aspects such as rhetorical devices, literary motifs, characterization, themes, voices, sound, structure of passages or surahs, etc. While the unit welcomes proposals that explore any of these aspects, this year we particularly encourage papers that utilize linguistic, literary, and thematic perspectives to study the legal and prescriptive material found in Medinan surahs and verses.

Manuscripts and Textual Criticism

The aim of the Qur’an: Manuscripts and Textual Criticism unit is to provide a cross-disciplinary setting for the exploration of the various interconnected issues that arise when questions concerning the Qur’an’s text are investigated through the prism of its manuscript tradition. This latter term encompasses the field of Qur’an manuscripts per se, but also alludes to such information regarding the history of the text that can be gleaned from the citations, marginal notes, and detailed analysis provided in other branches of the Islamic sciences, for example Qur’an commentaries and the qira’at literature. It is hoped that bringing together scholars from a variety of disciplines will serve to enrich and strengthen each of these fields. The Manuscripts and Textual Criticism unit seeks to create a forum for the application of textual criticism to the Qur’anic text attested both in physical manuscripts and within the wider Islamic tradition. It also aims to investigate palaeographic, codicological, and art historical features in the Qur’an’s manuscript tradition. For the 2023 meeting in San Antonio, the unit welcomes papers on any topic within the range of the interests of the Manuscripts and Textual Criticism program unit. For the 2023 meeting in San Antonio, the unit welcomes papers on any topic within the range of the interests of the Manuscripts and Textual Criticism program unit.

The Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition

The focus of this unit is the Qur’an’s relationship to the Biblical tradition in the broadest sense: the books of the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament in the various languages of their original composition and later translations (regardless of a particular book’s status of canonization within specific Jewish or Christian groups), as well as the exegetical, homiletic, and narrative traditions of the Bible in written or oral form. For the 2023 meeting in San Antonio, the Qur’an and the Biblical Tradition unit welcomes proposals that engage any aspect of the relationship between the Bible and the Qur’an.

Qur’anic Studies: Methodology and Hermeneutics

The Methodology and Hermeneutics Unit invites proposals for papers that focus on the theological and hermeneutical relationship between the Qur’an and extra-Qur’anic sources of truth or authority, including the prophetic Sunna, communal Sunna, consensus (ijma’), the Shi’i Imams and their Sunna, hadith literature, biographical literature (sira), formative exegetical literature (tafsir), the rulings of Muslim scholars (‘ulama’), the Sufi shuyukh or Sufi poetry, mystical unveiling (kashf), studies of the material universe, intellect, and so forth.

For example, proposed papers could consider:

  • The hermeneutical relationship between the Qur’an and the prophetic Sunna; for instance, in how hadith, sīra, or “occasions of revelation” (asbāb al-nuzūl) impact exegesis;  
  • How principles from Islamicate philosophy (falsafa) or theology (kalām) are used to exegete the Qur’an, or how specific verses become significant within Muslim ontological and cosmological discourse;
  • How the idea of the Imams as the authoritative interpreters of the Qur’an influences exegesis in Shiʾī Islam;
  • How Sufi works of literature like the Mathnawī of Rūmi or Divān of Hāfiz distill the Qur’an for popular audiences;
  • How Sufi exegetes read the Quran through the lenses of mystical principles and spiritual experience;
  • Ways in which modern and contemporary Qur’anic interpretation adheres to or departs from influential premodern methods of tafsīr, and so forth.

Surah Studies

The Surah Studies Unit invites proposals for individual papers on any of the 37 surahs in the 30th juz’ (Juz’ ‘Amma), viz. from Surat al-Naba’ (78, “The Announcement”) to Surat al-Nas (114, “Humanity”). Proposals about any aspect of any surah—or cluster of surahs—are welcome. Proposals which can take our collective thinking in new directions are especially encouraged. These might broach (1) such general themes as: addressee(s), chronology and dating, the eschaton, oaths and oracular language, rhyme and rhythm, or textual cruxes; (2) topics specific to particular surahs, such as: astral imagery and phenomena in Surat al-Buruj (85, “The Constellations”) or Surat al-Takwir (81, “Rolling Up”), non-human beings in Surat al-Nazi‘at (79, “The Dispatchers”), Surat al-‘Alaq (96, “The Clot”), and Surat al-Fil (105, “The War Elephant”), or the language of commerce and trade and wealth in Surat al-Takathur (102, “Vying”) and Surat al-Ma‘un (107, “Liberality?”); or (3) devotional, liturgical and recitational aspects of the surahs and the juz’. The Surah Studies Unit welcomes diverse methods and new approaches. The raison d’être of the Unit is specifically to bring different perspectives into dialogue with one another.

The Qur’an and Late Antiquity

For the 2023 IQSA Annual Meeting in San Antonio, the Qur’an and Late Antiquity program unit invites proposals that utilize various types of material or evidence—be that literary, documentary, or epigraphic—to illuminate the historical context in which the Qur’an was revealed and the early Islamic polity emerged. We are especially interested in papers that present and discuss new and comparative methodologies to approach the interplay between Late Antique phenomenon and the Qur’an.

The Societal Qur’an

The Societal Qur’an unit invites proposals for papers that investigate the Qur’an in its lived and societal contexts throughout history, from Late Antiquity to contemporary Late Modernity. Papers might, for instance, discuss topics such as:(1) ritual uses of the Qur’an; (2) practices of teaching the Qur’an; (3) talismanic and medical uses of the Qur’an; (4) the production of manuscript, print, and new media versions of the Qur’an and their commodification; (5) the role of the Qur’an in public debates, political organisation, and identity building; (6) the Qur’an in arts and media; (7) multilingual representations of the Qur’an. Proposals are encouraged that engage with sociological, anthropological, and political science theories and methods in their pursuit of the societal and lived Qur’an.

Questions? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org! We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio!

Reminders & Updates: IQSA Denver Annual Meeting

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The IQSA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion and Society of Biblical Literature is one short week away (November 18-22, 2022)! Please find friendly reminders and updates below as you prepare to present or attend the conference.

ANNUAL MEETING FAQs

Q: Can I still register for the IQSA Annual Meeting?
A: Active IQSA members can still register for the meeting at full price. Visit the SBL Annual Meeting Page and choose Register as a Member of an Affiliate Organization. Then, complete a New Registration under the Affiliate Members category, and choose International Qur’anic Studies Association when prompted.

Q: How do I attend the IQSA General Reception?
A: All registered IQSA attendees will receive an email notification with details for the off-site reception on Saturday, November 19 from 7-9pm.

Q: Do I have to be an IQSA member to register for the Annual Meeting?
A: YES – current IQSA membership is required and verified by staff upon registration. However, SBL/AAR membership is not required to attend the IQSA Annual Meeting. You can renew your IQSA membership HERE.

Q: I already registered for the Annual Meeting as an SBL/AAR member. Do I have to register again as an affiliate to attend IQSA events?
A: No – duplicate registration is not required to attend IQSA events if one has already registered as an SBL/AAR member. However, you must register as an active IQSA member if you are presenting at an IQSA session.

Q: Where can I find a schedule of events for the Annual Meeting?
A: Find the IQSA Conference Schedule online, and view the full SBL/AAR Program here. A digital version of the IQSA Annual Meeting Program Book and Annual Report will be available in the coming days!

Q: Does IQSA provide funding or reimbursement for its members to attend the meeting?
A: At this time, IQSA does not have the resources to provide financial assistance for Annual Meeting registration costs. However, IQSA encourages its members to seek financial aid through institutional grants and other funding.

Q: Where can I find more FAQs regarding the SBL and AAR Meeting & Events?
A: Find more details at this link!

Q: Should I use the SBL/AAR Mobile App?
A: Absolutely! Using the mobile app or interactive web version will allow you to easily access event sessions, speakers, exhibitors, and organizer messages. When logged in using your registration number, you can personalize your schedule, take notes, share contacts, and more.

This is available for both Android and iOS devices. Please go here for links to download the app from each app store or to access the Online Planner.

Why should you download the Annual Meetings Mobile App prior to arrival?

  • The app is the best and easiest way to find information about the whole meeting, including session times and locations, information about presentations, location of exhibitors, and general information about the meeting.
  • New this year, you can view session with updated information via a search filter. When browsing filter data, tap the filter data, then select “New and Updated Sessions,” then the filter you wish to apply.
  • The app contains easily searchable floor plans of the book exhibit hall, convention center, and meeting hotels. Navigating the meeting has never been easier.
  • We will have onsite programs available, but these were printed in September and many sessions may have changed locations or times. We urge you to download the app and check it for the latest information.

Be sure to add alerts@ativsoftware.com to your email’s allowed senders list to be sure to receive emails, notifications, and invitations from the meeting platform. Presenters should be on the lookout for more information in the coming days about how to upload materials like handout documents, full-text papers, and even pre-recorded videos. While uploading these materials is optional, we encourage presenter to take advantage of these opportunities.

Questions? Email us at contactus@iqsaweb.org. We look forward to seeing you in Denver!

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Register Before Fees Increase! IQSA in Palermo 2022

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A friendly reminder to register for IQSA’s 2022 Annual Meeting in Palermo, Italy by Thursday, June 30th before rates increase! This meeting takes place in person from September 5-7, 2022, hosted by the Giorgio La Pira Library and Research Centre (Palermo, Italy).

Conference registration fees are structured as follows:

  • Registration by the end of June: 140 $
  • Registration by the end of July: 180 $
  • Registration in August and September: 220 $

Students and residents of the Global South will receive 50% discount on the proposed fees.

View the event registration page. 

Participants are required to register for the conference online.

Any questions concerning practicalities of the conference in Palermo should be addressed to Francesca Badini (badini@fscire.it) and concerning registration and payment should go to contactus@iqsaweb.org.

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2022. All rights reserved.

Super Saver Registration Deadline Approaching

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Looking to save on registration rates for this year’s IQSA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the SBL/AAR Annual Meetings in Denver, Colorado from November 18-21, 2022? Register as an Affiliate Member HERE before super saver rates end on May 27th! All presenters, panel members, and other attendees MUST register to attend the Annual Meeting. 

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ANNUAL MEETING FAQs

Q: What are the dates of IQSA’s Annual Meeting?
A: The IQSA Annual Meeting begins and ends November 18-21, 2022 one day before the regular SBL/AAR Meeting.

Q: How do I register for the Annual Meeting as an IQSA member?
A: Register as an AFFILIATE MEMBER on SBL’s Meetings and Events page. Scroll to the bottom of the page for the Affiliate link and choose “International Qur’anic Studies Association” in the drop-down menu.

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Q: Do I have to be an IQSA member to register for the Annual Meeting?
A: YES – current IQSA membership is required and verified by staff upon registration. However, SBL/AAR membership is not required to attend the IQSA Annual Meeting. You can renew your IQSA membership HERE.

Q: I already registered for the Annual Meeting as an SBL/AAR member. Do I have to register again as an affiliate to attend IQSA events?
A: No – duplicate registration is not required to attend IQSA events if one has already registered as an SBL/AAR member.

Q: Where can I find a schedule of events for the Annual Meeting?
A: IQSA  and SBL/AAR’s Program Book will be distributed in print and online as the meeting date draws closer. Members can chose to access the Program Book via mobile app, online, or in print while completing the registration process.

Q: Where can I find information about Housing and Travel Accommodations?
A: Visit SBL’s Meetings and Events page and/or choose your hotel during your online registration.

Q: Does IQSA provide funding or reimbursement for its members to attend the meeting?
A: At this time, IQSA does not have the resources to provide financial assistance for housing and travel at the Annual Meeting. However, IQSA encourages its members to seek financial aid through institutional grants and other funding.

Q: I will be traveling internationally. How do I obtain a non-immigrant Visa Letter?
A: Check the required box during online registration (see below) and email contactus@iqsaweb.org to arrange for a Visa Letter.

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For the 2022 meeting in Denver, IQSA will be engaging papers that address any aspect of the Qur’anic text. These may explore particular themes in a given surah or aspects of the Qur’an’s conversation with the religious traditions of Late Antiquity, or even discuss methodological concerns when studying the text or highlight features of physical manuscripts. All topics are welcome.

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2022. All rights reserved.

 

Deadlines Approaching! IQSA Annual Meetings 2022

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The Call for Papers submission deadlines for both of IQSA’s Annual Meetings are fast approaching!

First, the extended deadline to submit paper and panel proposals for the IQSA 2022 Annual Meeting in Palermo is just 3 days away—March 7th, 2022! To submit paper and panel proposals, email to iqsa@fscire.it. This year, the International Qur’anic Studies Association’s Annual Meeting will be hosted by the Giorgio La Pira Library from September 5-7, 2022.

In addition to IQSA’s Annual Meeting in Palermo this September, members also have the opportunity to present or participate in IQSA’s Affiliate SBL/AAR Annual Meeting! The International Qur’anic Studies Association has opened its call for papers for its Annual Meeting to be held in Denver, Colorado from November 18–21, 2021 in conjunction with the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Religion. Paper proposals should be submitted through the SBL’s automated online submission system under the corresponding “Affiliates” link by March 15, 2022 though 11:59 PM (23:59) Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) (note: IQSA membership is required for proposal submission).

Questions? Email us at contactus@iqsaweb.org! We look forward to seeing you at IQSA’s events this year.

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2022. All rights reserved.

Reminder: Submit Papers for IQSA/SBL/AAR 2022!

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A friendly reminder that in addition to IQSA’s Annual Meeting in Palermo this September, members also have the opportunity to present or participate in IQSA’s Affiliate SBL/AAR Annual Meeting! The International Qur’anic Studies Association has opened its call for papers for its Annual Meeting to be held in Denver, Colorado from November 18–21, 2021 in conjunction with the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Religion. Paper proposals should be submitted through the SBL’s automated online submission system under the corresponding “Affiliates” link by March 15, 2022 though 11:59 PM (23:59) Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) (note: IQSA membership is required for proposal submission; see below).

For the 2022 meeting in Denver, IQSA invites proposals for papers that engage any aspect of the Qur’anic text. These may explore particular themes in a given surah or aspects of the Qur’an’s conversation with the religious traditions of Late Antiquity, or even discuss methodological concerns when studying the text or highlight features of physical manuscripts. All topics are welcome.

Please note that all proposals must include:

  • Author name and affiliation
  • Paper title
  • 400 word paper abstract (written in English)

Eligibility for proposal submissions is contingent upon the following:

  • Active IQSA membership is required at the time of proposal submission for the IQSA Program, and the membership status of all applicants will be checked prior to acceptance
  • Participants must maintain current IQSA Membership through their participation in the Annual Meeting

Please also note that:

  • To ensure equity and diversity amongst participants, participants should submit only one paper presentation per IQSA Annual Meeting
  • All participants must adhere to IQSA’s Professional Conduct Policy
  • Participants will be required to register for the conference by submitting payment through SBL’s online submission system (users are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the “Super Saver” rates which end mid-May)

Questions? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We hope to see you in Denver!

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2022. All rights reserved.

EXTENDED DEADLINE: IQSA 2022 Annual Meeting Giorgio La Pira Library and Research Centre, Palermo, Italy 

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Attention Friends of IQSA! 

We are happy to inform you that panel and paper submission deadlines for the IQSA 2022 Annual Meeting in Palermo have been extended! IQSA Members now have until March 7th, 2022 to submit paper and panel proposals via email to iqsa@fscire.it.

This year, the International Qur’anic Studies Association’s Annual Meeting will be held in Palermo, Italy, hosted by the Giorgio La Pira Library from September 5-7, 2022.

Please note that the IQSA membership is required for proposal submission (see below).

The 2022 Annual Meeting welcomes papers on any topic within the range of the interests of the Qur’anic text, encouraging in particular the submission of panels that gather selected speakers invited by a presenter. Individual papers will be accepted as well.

Please note that all proposals for panels must include:

  • Presenter/chair name(s) and affiliation.
  • 100-word short bio (written in English).
  • Panel title.
  • 400-word paper abstract (written in English).
  • Speakers contacted and selected by the presenter and title of each paper.

Proposals for single papers must include:

  • Author name and affiliation.
  • 100-word short bio (written in English).
  • Paper title.
  • 400-word paper abstract (written in English).

Eligibility for proposal submissions is contingent upon the following:

1) Active IQSA membership is required at the time of proposal submission for the
IQSA Program, and the membership status of all applicants will be checked prior
to acceptance.

2) Participants must maintain current IQSA Membership through their
participation in the Annual Meeting.

Please also note that, in order to ensure equity and diversity amongst participants, only one paper presentation per IQSA Annual Meeting should be submitted by any individual participant.

All participants must adhere to IQSA’s Professional Conduct Policy.

Conference registration fees are structured as follows:

  • Registration by the end of June: 140 $
  • Registration by the end of July: 180 $
  • Registration in August and September: 220 $

Students and residents of the Global South will receive 50% discount on the proposed fees.

View the event registration page. Participants will be required to register for the conference by submitting payment through IQSA submission system.

The Conference program will circulate by the beginning of April 2022 and the registration will be opened by the beginning of May with all relevant details about the several available options and activities, like the booking accommodation and childcare facilities or the trip to Monreale and the guided visit of Palermo.

If you require further information about the submission process and the panels organization, please contact Alba Fedeli (alba.fedeli@uni-hamburg.de) and Devin Stewart (dstewar@emory.edu). Any other questions concerning practicalities of the conference in Palermo should be addressed to Francesca Badini (badini@fscire.it) and concerning registration and payment should go to contactus@iqsaweb.org.

We look forward to receiving your proposals!

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2022. All rights reserved.

Call for Papers: IQSA Annual Meeting [SBL/AAR] 2022

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The International Qur’anic Studies Association has opened its call for papers for its Annual Meeting to be held in Denver, Colorado from November 18–21, 2021 in conjunction with the Society of Biblical Literature and the American Academy of Religion. Paper proposals should be submitted through the SBL’s automated online submission system under the corresponding “Affiliates” link by March 15, 2022 though 11:59 PM (23:59) Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5) (note: IQSA membership is required for proposal submission; see below).

For the 2022 meeting in Denver, IQSA invites proposals for papers that engage any aspect of the Qur’anic text. These may explore particular themes in a given surah or aspects of the Qur’an’s conversation with the religious traditions of Late Antiquity, or even discuss methodological concerns when studying the text or highlight features of physical manuscripts. All topics are welcome.

Please note that all proposals must include:

  • Author name and affiliation
  • Paper title
  • 400 word paper abstract (written in English)

Eligibility for proposal submissions is contingent upon the following:

  • Active IQSA membership is required at the time of proposal submission for the IQSA Program, and the membership status of all applicants will be checked prior to acceptance
  • Participants must maintain current IQSA Membership through their participation in the Annual Meeting

Please also note that:

  • To ensure equity and diversity amongst participants, participants should submit only one paper presentation per IQSA Annual Meeting
  • All participants must adhere to IQSA’s Professional Conduct Policy
  • Participants will be required to register for the conference by submitting payment through SBL’s online submission system (users are strongly encouraged to take advantage of the “Super Saver” rates which end mid-May)

Questions? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We hope to see you in Denver!

© International Qur’anic Studies Association, 2022. All rights reserved.