• Examine selected verses of Surat al-Kahf with specific focus on Arabic grammar, word choice, and linguistics
• Increase your understanding and reflection of Surat al-Kahf by studying classical works of Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir) written about it
• Gain valuable lessons from the wondrous stories within the Surah, including those of the People of the Cave, Moses and Khidr (peace be upon them both), and Dhu’l Qarnain
• Increase your awareness of the need to close the gap between simply reading a Qur’anic translation and studying a tafsir with a qualified Muslim scholar

The power of words is overwhelming, and language serves as one of God’s greatest signs. It is no wonder, then, that God chose language as a medium to reveal Himself to us, culminating in His final revelation, the Qur’an. And He chose a particular language as a vehicle for His Divine Speech, describing His Book as “an Arabic Qur’an.”

The grammar, morphology, syntax, rhetoric and overall eloquence of Qur’anic Arabic truly leave its listeners bewildered and amazed, and its opponents dumbfounded and powerless. As Imam al‐Busiri says in his famed Poem of the Cloak, Its eloquence repelled the claim of its opponent, the way a jealous man repels the hand of a criminal from his family.

This course will seek to examine selected verses of Surat al‐Kahf, focusing on word choice and relevant grammar, in an attempt to highlight the linguistic aspect of the Qur’anic miracle. Surat al‐Kahf is unique in some of the wondrous stories it contains, including that of the People of the Cave, Moses and Khidr (peace be upon them both), and Dhu ’l‐Qarnain, each of which is replete with precious lessons.

The material of the course will be taken from classical works of Qur’anic exegesis (tafsir), especially those works that focus on the linguistic aspect of the Qur’anic narrative, including Tafsir Abi ’Su’ud, Ruh al‐Ma’ani by al‐Alusi, Mafatih al‐Ghayb by al‐Razi, al‐Tahrir wal‐Tanwir by Ibn ‘Ashur, Nadhm al‐Durar by al‐Biqa’i, and others.