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Click on a year below for full details about the theme, teachers and material covered in previous conferences.
The Qur’an presents numerous accounts of the pious and the Prophets. Their actions, statements and prayers are lauded and frozen in time as a timeless message for humanity. What is however striking about many of these Qur’anic presentations is the lack of details: names, places and physical descriptions are omitted but the timeless spiritual lessons and practical meanings of their lives are preserved.
The fifth annual CEI Qur’an Conference explores some of the signs (ayah) presented in Q.26 ‘The Poets’. The Sura will be broken into passages, broadly demarcated by the refrain verses (Q.26:8-9). Various teachers will present the themes contained within a given passage and the passage’s place within the structure of the Sura. During the day, we will reflect on the signs and practical lessons contained in each of the prophetic stories mentioned in this Sura, as well as Qur’anic signs more generally, particularly those relating to the following broad categories: Revelations, Miracles, Historical Signs, Cosmic Signs and the Natural World.
The fourth annual CEI Qur’an conference, ‘Metaphoria’, explores selected metaphors in the Qur’an. Metaphors are used to enhance the effect of what is being said by making it beautiful, impressive, aesthetically striking, and semantically powerful. ‘Metaphoria’ is derived from two words: ‘metaphor’ and ‘euphoria’. For us, ‘Metaphoria’ is a word that captures the extraordinary imagery in the Qur’an, and how these images and examples are then used to convey powerful meanings.
The Qur’an is overflowing with voices that implore their Lord for favours- many of which we echo day-to-day in our busy lives. But, have we really grasped a deep understanding of the duas we utter? In this year’s Q-conference, we will highlight five disparate voices in the Qur’an, and explore What, Where, Why, When and How they supplicate. In so doing, we hope to establish the context of these well-known prayers in the Qur’an and reflect on the practical lessons contained therein.
A one-day programme exploring the journey of Moses, peace be upon him, in the Qur’an. The three sessions cover eight sūras and present key events from the life of this great Prophet, as well as an exposition of meanings and applicability to individuals’ lives, in near chronological order. Registered students will be provided with a pack containing the Arabic verses and English translation, together with space for annotation and additional notes.
Parables are an important literary device employed by the Qur’an, and this year’s CEI Qur’an conference aims to explore five stories pertaining to the concept of ‘Power’. Five teachers will read five different passages of the Qur’an, to highlight five very different perceptions and manifestations of power. Each session will attempt to highlight the practical and relevant lessons these verses contain as well as drawing attention to the style in which the Qur’an presents its message.