Andrew Rippin was the inaugural president of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (2014). He is remembered as “an esteemed colleague, revered mentor, and scholarly inspiration to many members of the IQSA community.”
In honor of Andrew Rippin, the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) will award a prize to the best paper delivered at the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting by a graduate student or early career scholar (Ph.D. awarded 2015 or later).
The prize winner will receive $250. In addition, the award committee will provide him/her with detailed feedback and guidance enabling him/her to expand the paper into a scholarly article that qualifies for publication in the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA), subject to peer review.
Interested scholars should submit a draft of the paper which they read at the 2020 Annual Meeting; this draft should be no longer than fifteen double-spaced pages (or 3750 words). Submissions should be sent to contactus@iqsaweb.org by January 31, 2021. The prize winner will be announced in March, 2021. The winner should then be prepared to submit a fully revised version of the winning article by April 30, 2021. Publication of the final version is contingent upon review by the award committee and editorial staff of JIQSA.
The International Qur’anic Studies Association’s Annual Meeting, usually an occasion for scholars to come together for a weekend of research and reunion, took a slightly different form this year, though still offering an opportunity to hear the latest scholarship and see (at least some) familiar faces. Rather than an in-person meeting, the COVID-19 pandemic prompted IQSA (along with the American Academy of Religion and the Society of Biblical Literature) to shift to a virtual format with talks and special events spread out over two weeks.
Despite the changes, the association was still able to hold twelve panels on topics ranging from the Qurʾān’s relationship with the Bible or the Late Antique milieu to manuscript studies and exegetical reflections. Talks were broadcast live around the globe, giving speakers the ability to answer questions from the audience and facilitate communication between participants via the chat and Q&A features. Events that typically take place over light refreshments like the General Reception, Business Meeting, and Graduate Student Luncheon also transitioned to the Zoom platform. Rounding out the program was a Presidential Address from Asma Hilali (which opened the conference on November 30) and a Closing Session on December 10 looking back at the panoply of topics probed, debated, and defended by the forty-one panelists.
While of course members would prefer to be able to meet together face to face—and despite the undeniable reality of Zoom fatigue—the benefit of the virtual format was in opening up the conference to scholars for whom travel to the traditional forum would be prohibitively expensive. This was reflected in the strong attendance across the board for this year’s talks; despite the travails of scheduling, technology, and different time zones, most panels drew a comparably sized audience as they would have in a more traditional year.
Turning to the future, the IQSA community is hoping for a faraj after the shidda of 2020 and looking forward to future conferences that build off the lessons of this year’s unusual circumstances (not to mention actually seeing each other in the flesh!). The ninth century scribe and poet Abū al-ʿAbbās Ibn Thawābah, anticipating to his freedom from prison, offers us some solace—and hopefully augurs a better 2021 for our modern world as well:
عواقبُ مكروهِ الأمور خيارُ … وأيّامُ سوءٍ لا تدومُ قصارُ
وليس بباقٍ بؤسُها ونعيمُها … إذا كَرَّ ليلٌ ثمّ كَرَّ نها
Dire events lead to good things.
Hard times are short: they pass.
Pain does not endure, but time
brings joy, and joy will last.
(al-Tanūkhī, al-Faraj baʿd al-shidda, trans. Julia Bray: Stories of Piety and Prayer: Deliverance After Adversity, 217; the lines have also been attributed to al-Shāfiʿī)
On behalf of IQSA, we thank all of our program unit chairs, board and committee members, and participants for their unwavering support that made this unprecedented event possible. Follow us IQSA Blog, Facebook, and Twitter for updates as we transition into the New Year!
By Conor Dube (Ph.D. Candidate, Harvard University)
Andrew Rippin was the inaugural president of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (2014). He is remembered as “an esteemed colleague, revered mentor, and scholarly inspiration to many members of the IQSA community.”
In honor of Andrew Rippin, the International Qur’anic Studies Association (IQSA) will award a prize to the best paper delivered at the 2020 Virtual Annual Meeting by a graduate student or early career scholar (Ph.D. awarded 2015 or later).
The prize winner will receive $250. In addition, the award committee will provide him/her with detailed feedback and guidance enabling him/her to expand the paper into a scholarly article that qualifies for publication in the Journal of the International Qur’anic Studies Association (JIQSA), subject to peer review.
Interested scholars should submit a draft of the paper which they read at the 2020 Annual Meeting; this draft should be no longer than fifteen double-spaced pages (or 3750 words). Submissions should be sent to contactus@iqsaweb.org by January 31, 2021. The prize winner will be announced in March, 2021. The winner should then be prepared to submit a fully revised version of the winning article by April 30, 2021. Publication of the final version is contingent upon review by the award committee and editorial staff of JIQSA.
The first ever Virtual Annual Meeting of the International Qur’anic Studies Association will come to a close tomorrow, Thursday December 10, after a successful program of special events, addresses, and panels with scholars from around the globe. IQSA thanks its affiliates at the Society of Biblical Literature and American Academy of Religion, in addition to its programming coordinators and officers, for making this unprecedented event possible during the current global health crisis.
A friendly reminder that IQSA will hold its Closing Session (open to all registered meeting attendees) tomorrow, December 10 from 1-1:30pm EST. The code for this session is P10-206b and login link is available in the desktop and mobile app virtual planner.
This short gathering will provide an opportunity for members to finish the IQSA Annual Meeting with closing remarks and a farewell from the current Executive Director, Emran El-Badawi, and an introduction to the new Executive Director for the coming calendar year. In addition, election results for the 2020 Officer and Director polls will be announced by Chair of the IQSA Board, Holger Zellentin. This session can be accessed via the virtual planner by navigating to Thursday, December 10 on the calendar after logging in using your registration reference number as your user name and your last name as your password.
Please note that in line with IQSA privacy laws, this session will not be recorded. Recordings of select sessions are available online through the Virtual App/Desktop Plannerjust like a live session through January 31, 2021. Simply navigate to the event in the planner and click “View Recording” after the session has concluded. Please note that the only sessions recorded are those in which the listed participants have granted permission. If the participants have not granted permission, a recording will not be available due to licensing restrictions.
On behalf of IQSA, we thank you for your continued support for the entirety of this unprecedented event and look forward to seeing you virtually tomorrow!
A friendly reminder that given the unprecedented circumstances, this year’s IQSA elections are being conducted online. Each active member will be polled for their vote exclusively through the IQSA members portal via your unique login. The election will close on December 9, 2020 at 12pm EST. Election results will be announced at the Annual Meeting Closing Session on December 10, 2020.
The IQSA Annual Meeting is well underway with 8 panel sessions and special events already conducted as of this afternoon! If you are a registered attendee but were unable to make a session, recordings are available online through the Virtual App/Desktop Plannerjust like a live session through January 31, 2021. Simply navigate to the event in the planner and click “View Recording” after the session has concluded.
Please note that the only sessions recorded are those in which the listed participants have granted permission. If the participants have not granted permission, a recording will not be available due to licensing restrictions.
IQSA looks forward to even more special events with its community of scholars next week! Visit the online schedule to find all the details for future sessions.
Bring your questions for IQSA to the General & Business Meetings!
Dear Friends of IQSA,
Today IQSA members and the general public will have the opportunity to gather virtually as a group for the IQSA Annual Business and General Meetings. As we are not able to convene in person this year, this will be a valuable opportunity for members and the wider community to converse in a group setting for discussion of important agenda items, including but not limited to elections, plans for future meetings, and IQSA’s annual operations.
We invite you to use this opportunity to bring any questions or concerns you might have for IQSA Leaders and Officers to either or both of the below sessions. IQSA representatives will do their best to answer and address all inquiries, especially in light of the challenging times we are facing as a global community of scholars today.
Business Meeting Wednesday DEC 2, 10-11AM EST
Members Only
General Meeting Wednesday DEC 2, 11:30AM-12:30PM EST
The 2020 IQSA Annual Meeting held for the first time in a new virtual format is just 10 days away! Please see below for some friendly reminders for participants and attendees as you prepare to attend.
Membership & Registration Current IQSA membership is required and verified by staff upon registration for the IQSA Annual Meeting. However, SBL/AAR membership is not required to attend the IQSA Annual Meeting. You can renew your IQSA membership HERE.
Dates and Times The virtual meeting schedule is extended to avoid potential timing conflicts, time zone limitations, and religious and Thanksgiving holidays. The meeting will take place Monday – Thursday over two weeks. The new dates are November 30 – December 3 and December 7 – 10, from 9AM to 9PM EST. All times on the conference schedule are listed in Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5).
Program Platform The SBL and AAR Virtual Annual Meetings Platform is now live on your computer! You can search and browse all of the sessions and publishers who are participating. After you log in, you can start to build your own schedule. Much more functionality will be unveiled once the Virtual Annual Meeting starts! To log into the Virtual Annual Meetings Platform, you will use your registration Reference Number as your username, and your last name as your password. Download the Mobile App to access the Virtual Annual Meeting on your mobile device!
IQSA Virtual Events IQSA will still hold its Annual President Address, Business and General Meetings, Graduate Student Roundtable, and a closing session. To participate, members must be registered for the Annual Meeting through SBL/AAR.
Presidential Address 11/30/2020 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Asma Hilali, University of Lille, Panelist (40 min) Fred Donner, University of Chicago, Respondent (20 min)
Business Meeting 12/02/2020 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM *Members Only
General Meeting 12/02/2020 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Open to Public
Graduate Student Roundtable 12/03/2020 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Closing Session 12/10/2020 1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Questions or concerns? For registration and logistics, email information@annual-meetings.org. For IQSA specific questions, email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We look forward to seeing our members and affiliates next month for this exciting event!
Attention all graduate students and early career scholars!
Every year the International Qur’anic Studies Association hosts a Graduate Student Luncheon at the IQSA Annual Meeting held in conjunction with the American Academy of Religion (AAR) and Society of Biblical Literature (SBL). This event is a valuable opportunity for emerging scholars to mingle with established experts in Qur’anic studies in a more relaxed setting.
In keeping with this year’s new Annual Meeting format, this event will take place virtually as a Graduate Student Roundtable over Zoom on December 3, 2020 from 11am to 12pm EST. To participate, visit the SBL Annual Meeting Page and choose Register for the Annual Meeting. Then, complete a New Registration under the Affiliate Members category, and choose International Qur’anic Studies Association when prompted. Then, use the Virtual Meetings Platform to find the event and obtain login information.
IQSA is committed to fostering community in Qur’anic studies by supporting students on their path to professional success and encouraging collaboration across generations, all of which are vital to the advancement of knowledge in our field. We hope you join us for this valuably opportunity!
IQSA Virtual Annual Meeting: Reminders and Updates
The 2020 IQSA Annual Meeting held for the first time in a new virtual format is just a few short weeks away! Please see below for some friendly reminders for participants and attendees:
Membership & Registration Current IQSA membership is required and verified by staff upon registration for the IQSA Annual Meeting. However, SBL/AAR membership is not required to attend the IQSA Annual Meeting. You can renew your IQSA membership HERE.
Dates and Times
The virtual meeting schedule will be extended to avoid potential timing conflicts, time zone limitations, and religious and Thanksgiving holidays. The meeting will take place Monday – Thursday over two weeks. The new dates are November 30 – December 3 and December 7 – 10, from 9AM to 9PM EST / 1PM to 1AM ECT. All times on the conference schedule are listed in Eastern Standard Time (UTC-5).
You can search and browse all of the sessions and publishers who are participating. After you log in, you can start to build your own schedule. Much more functionality will be unveiled once the Virtual Annual Meeting starts!
To log into the Virtual Annual Meetings Platform, you will use your registration Reference Number as your username, and your last name as your password.
Download the Mobile App to access the Virtual Annual Meeting on your mobile device!
IQSA Virtual Events IQSA will still hold its Annual President Address, Business and General Meetings, Graduate Student Roundtable, and a closing session. To participate, members must be registered for the Annual Meeting through SBL/AAR.
Presidential Address 11/30/2020 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM Asma Hilali, University of Lille, Panelist (40 min) Fred Donner, University of Chicago, Respondent (20 min)
Business Meeting
12/02/2020
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
*Members Only
General Meeting
12/02/2020
11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Open to Public
Graduate Student Roundtable
12/03/2020
11:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Closing Session
12/10/2020
1:00 PM to 1:30 PM
Questions or concerns? Email contactus@iqsaweb.org. We look forward to seeing our members and affiliates next month for this exciting event!
You can search and browse all of the sessions and publishers who are participating. After you log in, you can start to build your own schedule. Much more functionality will be unveiled once the Virtual Annual Meeting starts!
To log into the Virtual Annual Meetings Platform, you will use your registration Reference Number as your username, and your last name as your password.
Download the Mobile App to access the Virtual Annual Meeting on your mobile device!
The Virtual Annual Meeting of the International Qur’anic Studies Association is only one short month away! From November 30 to December 10, scholars from over a dozen countries and universities across the globe will meet to share their scholarship in 9 different panels. Registration is still open for this meeting held in conjunction with the SBL/AAR Annual Meetings in a new virtual format. You can save on the forthcoming registration fee by joining IQSA and registering for the Annual Meetings as an Affiliate Member HERE.
For a sneak peak of the panel themes, presenters, and paper topics, view the 2020 IQSA Schedule online. We look forward to seeing many of our IQSA colleagues, affiliates, and friends in this unprecedented virtual gathering!