30046 - Arab Literature 1 (2nd cycle)

Learning outcomes

The student possesses in-depth knowledge of the history of modern Arabic literature, with particular attention to the relationship between literary texts and the historical, artistic and linguistic context. He knows and uses the practical methodologies for the analysis and interpretation of the literary text.

Course contents

The course aims to provide an in-depth introduction to the figure of the Egyptian intellectual Aḥmad Amīn (1886–1954), through an analysis of his major works, in particular his autobiography (Ḥayātī, 1950) and his renowned trilogy on the history of Islamic civilization: Fajr al-Islām (1929), Ḍuḥà al-Islām (1933–1936), and Ẓuhr al-Islām (1945–1955). These texts represent a central expression of his broader project of reform and reinterpretation of the Arab-Islamic intellectual heritage, which will be examined in light of the cultural and ideological debates that emerged during the Nahḍah.

The analysis will be conducted through a particular lens: that of the Orientalist discourse on Islam, which has often interpreted Arab and Muslim intellectual production through simplistic dichotomous frameworks such as “tradition vs modernity” or “fundamentalism vs progressivism.” These categories have resulted in reductive readings that fail to grasp the complexity of intellectual trajectories and the historical contexts in which they developed.

Within this framework, Aḥmad Amīn stands as an emblematic case of an intellectual who resists such polarizations. His work emerges instead as a nuanced attempt to reconcile spiritual and rational concerns, the Arab-Islamic heritage and contributions from Western thought. His reevaluation of Muʿtazilism is central in this regard: it should not be seen as a mere adherence to a rationalist tradition, but rather as part of a broader reformist project aimed at critically rethinking the Islamic legacy in order to elaborate an indigenous modernity—alternative to, yet also in dialogue with, the Western one.

Through the close reading of selected excerpts, the course will provide students with critical tools to analyze Amīn’s methodology, sources, and content, while also contributing to the reconstruction of a significant chapter in the intellectual history of the Nahḍah. Finally, the course will offer an opportunity to reflect on the criteria of canonization and marginalization in modern and contemporary cultural historiography, shedding light on a figure widely recognized in the Arab world, yet still understudied and rarely translated in Western academia.

 

Readings/Bibliography

Amīn, Aḥmad, Ḥayātī, Mu’assasat Hindāwī li-l-ta‘līm wa-l-thaqāfah, al-Qāhira 2011 (brani scelti).

Amīn, Aḥmad, La mia vita, Introduzione, versione dall’arabo e note a cura di Andrea Borruso e Maria Teresa Mascari, Liceo Ginnasio «Gian Giacomo Adria», Mazara del Vallo 1996.

Amīn, Aḥmad, Fajr al-Islām, Mu’assasat Hindāwī li-l-taʿlīm wa-l-thaqāfa, al-Qāhira 2011 (brani scelti).

Amīn, Aḥmad, Ḍuḥà al-Islām, Mu’assasat Hindāwī li-l-taʿlīm wa-l-thaqāfa, al-Qāhira 2011 (brani scelti).

Amīn, Aḥmad, Ẓuhr al-Islām, Mu’assasat Hindāwī li-l-taʿlīm wa-l-thaqāfa, al-Qāhira 2013 (brani scelti).

Barak, Efraim, Ahmad Amin and Nationalism, in «Middle Eastern Studies» 43/2 (2007), pp. 295-310.

Camera D'Afflitto, Isabella, Letteratura araba contemporanea. Dalla nahḍah a oggi, Carocci, Roma 2007.

Caspar, Robert, Un aspect de la pensée musulmane moderne: le renouveau du moʿtazilisme, in « MIDÉO » 4 (1957), pp. 141-202, https://alkindi.ideo-cairo.org/append_pdf/iu439.pdf/66523.

Hanssen, Jens; Weiss, Max (eds.), Arabic Thought beyond the Liberal Age. Towards an Intellectual History of the Nahda, Cambridge University Press, New York 2016.

Hourani, Albert. Arabic Thought in the Liberal Age 1798-1939, Oxford University Press, Oxford 1970.

Kateman, Ammeke, Muḥammad ʿAbduh and His Interlocutors: Conceptualizing Religion in a Globalizing World, Brill, Leiden 2019.

Mīshāl Jiḥā, al-Munāẓarah al-dīniyyah bayna ’l-šayḫ Muḥammad ʿAbduh wa Faraḥ Anṭūn (La querelle religiosa tra lo šayḫ Muḥammad ʿAbduh e Faraḥ Anṭūn), Bīsān li ’l našr wa ’l-tawzī‘, Bayrūt 2014.

Mizutani, Makoto, Liberalism in Twentieth Century Egyptian Thought: The Ideologies of Ahmad Amin and Husayn Amin, I.B.Tauris, London-New York 2014.

Perrin, Emmanuelle, Le creuset et l’orfèvre : le parcours d’Ahmad Amîn (1886-1954), in « Revue des mondes musulmans et de la Méditerranée » 95-98 (2002), https://journals.openedition.org/remmm/238.

Perrin, Emmanuelle, Amīn, Aḥmad, in «Encyclopaedia of Islam», 3rd ed. online, Brill, Leiden 2008.

Peta, Ines, Aḥmad Amīn’s Rationalist Approach to the Qur’ān and Sunnah, in «Religions» 13 (2022), pp. 1-15, https://www.mdpi.com/2077-1444/13/3/234.

Renan, ernest, L’islam et la science, avec la réponse d’al-Afghânî, Préface de F. Zabbal, l’Archange Minotaure, s.l. 2005.

Teaching methods

1) Frontal lessons

2) Interactive lessons

3) Activities in pairs and / or in groups

Assessment methods

The oral exam aimed at verifying the mastery of the topics covered. In particular we will evaluate the argumentative and expressive ability of the students, the knowledge of the specialized language studied and the ability to analyze the texts examined.

Students with Specific Learning Disorders (SLD) or temporary or permanent disabilities:
It is recommended that you contact the University office in charge (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en ) and the instructor as soon as possible, in order to identify together the most effective strategies for attending classes and/or preparing for the exam.Any requests for accommodations must be submitted no later than 15 days before the exam date by sending an email to the instructor and copying (Cc) disabilita@unibo.it [mailto:disabilita@unibo.it] (in case of disability) or dsa@unibo.it [mailto:dsa@unibo.it] (for students with SLD).

Teaching tools

Audio / video texts, power-points and other materials provided by the teacher.

Office hours

See the website of Ines Peta

See the website of Giulia Aiello