As part of our Summer School „Qur’anic manuscripts, past and present: cataloging and digital tools“ in cooperation with the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (Corpus Coranicum) and the Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation (London), a public evening lecture will take place.

Conflicting Perceptions: A Journey through Modern (Mis-)Readings of the Qurʾān

Colonialism and the advent of printing have given rise to a multitude of contexts and potential interpretations of the Qurʾān. Drawing on literary history and personal experiences German writer and Arabist Stefan Weidner illuminates some of the more striking examples of the Qurʾān’s colonial and postcolonial perceptions in both East and West. These examples range from its comparison to the Upanishads in Mughal India to its transformation into an anti-modern manifesto in 20th-century German poetry. Since the advent of printing, the Qurʾān has assumed multiple identities, and the results of this transformation are both exhilarating and dangerous. Understanding the diverse interpretations that the Qurʾān has acquired in contemporary, postmodern, and non-Muslim contexts is crucial. Without this awareness, explaining its significance in late antiquity, obtaining broader recognition for its original meaning and influence, and effectively communicating the findings from research into early Qurʾānic manuscripts will prove challenging.

Registration is requested.

Diese Veranstaltung findet vollständig auf englischer Sprache statt.