Hồ Anh Nguyên

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ENG-2205 Assignment 8

The Qur’an

1. How do the Muslims think of the Qur’an?

Muslims view the Qur’an not merely as a static book, but rather as a dynamic and alive form of speech
that has been transmitted continuously through generations since the era of Muhammad and his
companions, who established the earliest Muslim community in seventh-century Arabia. Additionally,
the Qur’an is perceived as more than a physical text; it is considered a divine creation existing solely in
the celestial realm of paradise, transcending its material form.

2. Summarize the structure and content of the Qur’an in a paragraph of about 50 words.

The Qur'an, Islam's holy book, is structured into 144 chapters called surahs, which vary in length. It
covers a wide range of topics, including theology, morality, guidance for personal conduct, and stories of
prophets. Each surah emphasizes monotheism, submission to God, and the importance of righteous
living.

3. In Surah 12, what story did Joseph tell his father? What did his father advise him after

knowing about that story?

He told his father that he saw eleven stars and the sun and moon, he saw them bowing down before him
in his dream.

His father advised that he should not narrate this dream to his brothers, lest they plan a plot against him;
for surely Satan is a manifest adversary to humankind.

4. What was the fate of Joseph afterwards? In what situation did Joseph get invited to meet

the king? What were the relationship between Joseph and his brothers and his father

afterwards?

After Joseph's time in prison, he was summoned to meet the king due to his reputation for interpreting
dreams. Joseph accurately interpreted the king's dream about seven years of abundance followed by
seven years of famine, advising him to store grain during the plentiful years to prepare for the famine. As
a result, Joseph was appointed as a high-ranking official in Egypt.

Regarding Joseph's relationship with his brothers and father, his brothers initially betrayed him by selling
him into slavery, leading to years of separation. However, during the famine, they traveled to Egypt
seeking food and unknowingly encountered Joseph, who had risen to power. Joseph ultimately forgave
his brothers and reconciled with them, even providing for his family's well-being. He was joyfully
reunited with his father, Jacob, who had believed Joseph to be dead, and they shared their remaining
years together in Egypt.
The Thousand and One Nights

1. In what period of time was the first trace of The Thousand and One Nights known thus far?

What sources were discovered as being included in the stories of The Thousand and One

Nights?

The first document bearing any physical evidence of The Thousand and One Nights was a single piece of
very rare old Syrian paper that dates from 879 c.E. Discovered in 1948 by a scholar studying in a Cairo
archive, the page contained, among various other scrawls and jottings, a signature, a date, and few
words from the opening lines of the Nights.

The next trace of the Nights appears in the tenth century, when Ibn al-Nadim, a book dealer in Baghdad,
mentions in his catalog a number of story collections; among them is a book of tales concerning
“Shahrazad,” which, he notes, is adapted from a Persian original called Hazar Afsan, or Thousand Tales.

Another tenth-century writer, al-Mas‘udi, also mentions Shahrazad and the now-lost Persian Hazar
Afsan, and adds the title of the Arabic version of the work: Alf Layla, or Thousand Nights. The title that
comes down to us in the earliest complete manuscript, a Syrian text dating from the fourteenth century,
is the familiar Alf Layla wa-Layla, or Thousand and One Nights.

2. In the “Prologue” of the Nights, why does Shahrayar send his vizier to his brother

Shahzaman? Why does Shahzaman come back to the city after having left for visiting his

brother? What does he see when he comes back? What does he do when seeing that?

In the "Prologue" of the Nights, Shahrayar sends his vizier to his brother Shahzaman to inquire about the
latter's well-being, suspecting that he may be distressed due to the news of Shahrayar's wife's infidelity.
Shahzaman returns to the city after leaving to visit his brother upon receiving the summons, but upon
his return, he discovers his wife in bed with a black slave. Enraged by this betrayal, Shahzaman decides to
take revenge by executing both his wife and the slave. This traumatic experience serves as the catalyst
for Shahrayar's subsequent distrust and hatred toward women, setting the stage for the framing
narrative of the Nights.

3. How does Shahrayar treat his brother? What does Shahzaman witness there during the time

his brother has left for the hunt? How does he feel after witnessing that spectacle? What plan

does he do with his brother then?

Shahrayar treats his brother, Shahzaman, with hospitality and warmth upon his arrival, unaware of the
turmoil brewing within him. However, during Shahrayar's absence on a hunting expedition, Shahzaman
witnesses his brother's queen engaging in an adulterous affair with a kitchen boy. Shocked and
disillusioned by this revelation, Shahzaman experiences a profound sense of betrayal and bitterness.
Upon Shahrayar's return, Shahzaman confides in him, revealing the painful truth he has uncovered.
Together, the brothers vow to seek revenge against unfaithful women, leading to Shahrayar's decree to
marry a new bride each night and have her executed the following morning. This pact reflects their
shared trauma and their determination to punish perceived infidelity.

4. What do Shahrayar and his brother see in the meadow? Why does the woman ask them to

give her their rings?

In the field, Shahrayar and his brother Shahzaman witness a disturbing and disheartening scene: they
observe their respective wives, accompanied by a group of slave girls and black slaves, engaging in
promiscuous behavior with each other. The woman they encounter in the meadow, who is revealed to
be a sorceress or jinniyah, requests that Shahrayar and Shahzaman give her their rings as payment for
the information she has shared with them. This solicitation for their rings represents an agreement or
exchange, suggesting that the knowledge they have received carries a price. Furthermore, the
sorceress's insistence on obtaining their rings may also indicate an attempt at exerting control or
manipulation, given the symbolic importance and authority associated with the rings in the narrative.

5. What does Shahrayar decide to do when he comes back to his kingdom after the meeting

with the woman in the meadow?

Upon returning to his kingdom after meeting with the woman in the meadow, Shahrayar makes a solemn
and drastic decision. He resolves to marry a new bride each night and have her executed the following
morning. This grim decree is a response to his profound disillusionment with women, sparked by his
wife's infidelity and fueled by his belief that all women are unfaithful. This decision sets the stage for the
framing narrative of "The Thousand and One Nights," where Shahrazad, the vizier's daughter, volunteers
to marry Shahrayar and uses her storytelling prowess to postpone her execution and eventually change
Shahrayar's views on women.

6. What does the vizier’s daughter decide to do? Why does he tell her the tale of the ox and

the donkey? What does the donkey advise the ox and what happens to it ultimately?

Shahrazad decides to marry King Shahrayar, so that she may either succeed in saving the people or
perish and die like the rest.

He wants to emphasize the importance of caution and the unforeseen consequences of rash,
thoughtless actions.

In the story, the donkey advised the ox to stop eating, to quit plowing in the field in favor of resting down
on the hay. Therefore, when the ox quit his job, the donkey was forced to plow the field instead. The
donkey had suffered the consequences, but it was late when the donkey regretted his curiosity and
miscalculation; similarly, the vizier wanted to warn his daughter of coming disaster.

7. Why does Shahrazad tell her father the tale of the merchant and his wife?

The merchant used the power and strength of a man to manage his wife, making her obedient and
orderly, which was also how the vizier would treat Shahrazad if she still insisted on marrying the king.
But the daughter did not falter, and that she had many ways of offering herself to the king without her
father's help.

8. Whom does Shahrazad want to take together when going to sleep with the king? What

does she ask her to do before the dawn?

His sister, Dinarzad.

She asks her sister to tell lovely little tales. The story was always left unfinished, and the king would get
interested, so he temporarily spared Shahrazad's life the next morning.

Writing

You’re supposed to write an essay whose title is “Sexuality in The Thousand and One

Nights.”

Find out 3-5 referential units (journal articles and books) for that essay, then write a

paragraph of about 50-70 words in APA format, which functions as its literature review, to

summarize them.

Sexuality in "The Thousand and One Nights" has been the subject of scholarly inquiry, with several
studies shedding light on its portrayal within the tales. Burton's translation of "The Arabian Nights"
(1885) provides a foundational text, offering insights into the eroticism and sensuality depicted in the
stories. In "The Arabian Nights: A Companion" (1994), Irwin delves into the cultural and historical context
of the tales, exploring themes of desire, gender dynamics, and sexual taboos. Additionally, Marzolph's
"The Arabian Nights Encyclopedia" (2004) offers a comprehensive examination of the various narratives
and their treatment of sexuality, providing valuable analysis for understanding the nuances of sexual
themes throughout the collection. These works collectively contribute to a deeper understanding of the
multifaceted portrayal of sexuality in "The Thousand and One Nights."