Louise Gallorini
American University of Beirut, Arabic and Near Eastern Languages, Graduate Student
- Arabic Studies, Middle Eastern History, Social Anthropology, Religious Studies, Modern Arabic Literature, Classical Arabic Literature, and 40 moreAfghanistan, Modern South Asia, Pashto Literature, Media Studies, Mass media, Classical Arabic Prose Literature, Pre-islamic poetry, Middle Eastern Geopolitics, Saudi Arabia, Arabian Gulf, Tribal studies, Media and Culture, Qatar, Quranic Studies, The Persian Gulf, Middle East Studies, Semitic languages, Arabic Sociolinguistics, Arabic Language and Linguistics, Kuwait, Masculinity Studies, Arabian/Persian Gulf Studies, Gulf Studies, Gender Studies, Oriental Studies, Activist Ethnography, Qur'anic Studies, United Arab Emirates, Islamic manuscripts illumination, Yemen (History), Codicology of medieval manuscripts, Arabic Manuscripts, Islamic Studies, Medieval Literature, Manuscript Studies, Arabic Literature, Classical Arabic Poetry, Middle Eastern Christianity, Jewish Studies, Pre-Islamic Arabia, Pre-Islamic Arabic Literature, and Climate Changeedit
- PhD - Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages at the American University of Beirut (BA from Université Lumièr... morePhD - Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages at the American University of Beirut (BA from Université Lumière Lyon 2 and MA from INALCO Paris).
The main focus areas of my current research are Quranic Studies, Sufi Studies, Medieval Arabic Literature studies. Dissertation topic: the Evolution of the Representation of Angels in the Qur’an and Mystical Literature (Sufi commentaries, Sufi Mi’raj tales and the Meccan Openings by Ibn Arabi).
I also have a more general interest in the areas of Cultural Anthropology, Modern Literature, Religious studies and Mythology studies.
حاصلة دكتوراه في الدائرة اللغة العربية ولغات الشرق الأدنى في الجامعة الأميركية في بيروت. موضوعات اهتمامها البحثية من ضمن الدراسات القرآنية والدراسات الصوفية (تصوّف), كما تهتم بشكل عام بدراسات الأداب العربية وبعلوم الدين وبعلم الإنسان الثقافي وبالميثولوجيا.edit - Bilal Orfaliedit
Approaches to the Study of Pre-Modern Arabic Anthologies Series: Islamic History and Civilization, Volume: 180 Editors: Nadia Maria El Cheikh and Bilal Orfali Literary anthology is a general category of adab that encompasses a range of... more
Approaches to the Study of Pre-Modern Arabic Anthologies Series: Islamic History and Civilization, Volume: 180 Editors: Nadia Maria El Cheikh and Bilal Orfali Literary anthology is a general category of adab that encompasses a range of compilations which has enjoyed tremendous popularity in Arabic literature, probably like no other literature of the world. The aim of this volume is to raise and discuss questions about the different approaches to the study of pre-modern Arabic anthologies from the perspectives of philology, religion, history, geography, and literature. Contributors: Lyall Armstrong, Carl Davila, Matthew L. Keegan, Boutheina Khaldi, Enass Khansa, Jeremy Kurzyniec, David Larsen, Nathaniel A. Miller, Suleiman A. Mourad, Hans-Peter Pökel, Isabel Toral
Research Interests:
Mysticism and Ethics in Islam (American University of Beirut, 2–3 May 2019) Conference Organizers: Bilal Orfali, Mohammed Rustom, and Radwan Sayyid
Research Interests: Islamic Law, Philosophy, Metaphysics, Ethics, Philosophy Of Religion, and 15 moreArabic Literature, Arabic Language and Linguistics, Arabic, Islamic Contemporary Studies, Iranian Studies, Islamic Philosophy, Mysticism, Islamic Studies, Islamic Ethics, Islam, Medieval Islamic History, Islamic Mysticism, Medieval Mysticism, Modern Islamic Thought, and Philosophy of Religion
This paper focuses on the general representation of angels in the Qur’ān, and their relationship to another category of beings in the Islamic worldview, the jinn. A quick review of the works written about angelology in the Islamic world... more
This paper focuses on the general representation of angels in the Qur’ān, and their relationship to another category of beings in the Islamic worldview, the jinn. A quick review of the works written about angelology in the Islamic world and the presence of jinn as well as an analysis of the Quranic verses will show us that the apparition of Islam was closely linked to the accentuation of the place of angels in the worldview of the believers. This created a shift in the position and role of the jinn, beings
subject of popular belief in pre-islamic Arabia, whereby angels would take on the role of exclusive messengers from the Otherworld, a function which was typical of the jinn in pre-islamic Arabia. Jinn would remain an important feature of the imaginary within the Islamic world, albeit with a modified role.
subject of popular belief in pre-islamic Arabia, whereby angels would take on the role of exclusive messengers from the Otherworld, a function which was typical of the jinn in pre-islamic Arabia. Jinn would remain an important feature of the imaginary within the Islamic world, albeit with a modified role.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests: Ethics, Research Ethics, Virtue Ethics, Islamic Contemporary Studies, Islamic Philosophy, and 10 moreIslamic Studies, Islamic Ethics, Islamic History, Islamic Thought & Philosophy, Philosophy and Thought in Islamic Science, Islamic Mysticism, Islamic philosophy and theology, Arabic/Persian Manuscripts, codicology, Islamic philosophy, early Islamic history and thoughts, History and Philosophy of Islamic education, and Islamic Work Ethics
Research Interests:
Insatiable Appetite:
Food as a Cultural Signifier
International & Interdisciplinary Conference of the
Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA)
12-14 May 2016
Auditorium B1/College Hall
American University of Beirut
Food as a Cultural Signifier
International & Interdisciplinary Conference of the
Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA)
12-14 May 2016
Auditorium B1/College Hall
American University of Beirut
Research Interests:
The Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) has organized an international and interdisciplinary conference entitled Insatiable Appetite : Food as a Cultural Signifier in Beirut. AGYA’s goal is to strengthen... more
The Arab-German Young Academy of Sciences and Humanities (AGYA) has organized an international and interdisciplinary conference entitled Insatiable Appetite : Food as a Cultural Signifier in Beirut. AGYA’s goal is to strengthen international cooperation between young Arab and German researchers in the various fields of sciences and humanities, with an interdisciplinary perspective. This conference was organized by Julia Hauser (Assistant Professor of Global History, University of Kassel, Germany), Bilal Orfali (Associate Professor of Arabic, American University of Beirut, Lebanon), and Kirill Dmitriev (Lecturer in Arabic, University of St Andrews, UK). Food in the lens of a common heritage and common challenges : this was the focus of the participants’ lectures and activities held over three days, with the added presence of food historian Charles Perry.
Research Interests: History, Food Science, Arabic, Food History, Culture, and 3 moreIslamic Studies, Islam, and Food Security
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Conference Report: “Approaches to the Study of Pre-Modern Arabic Anthologies” Held in Beirut on May 10-12th 2018 Conference organised by Abdul Rahim Abu-Husayn and Bilal Orfali Report written by Louise Gallorini ✶ ✶ ✶ This... more
Conference Report: “Approaches to the Study of Pre-Modern Arabic Anthologies”
Held in Beirut on May 10-12th 2018
Conference organised by Abdul Rahim Abu-Husayn and Bilal Orfali
Report written by Louise Gallorini
✶ ✶ ✶
This conference was organised over three days by Abdul Rahim Abu-Husayn and Bilal Orfali. The first day of the conference was held on the premises of the American University of Beirut, after which the Bristol Hotel in Beirut became the venue for the second and third days of the conference.
Nadia Maria El Cheikh (Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences - AUB), Bilal Orfali (Chair of the Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages - AUB) and Abdul Rahim Abu-Husayn (Director of the Center for Arts and Humanities - AUB) welcomed participants to this conference on Thursday. This conference, which they had hoped to organise for many years, should result in the publication of the papers presented. The different presentations explored the overwhelming presence of anthologies in pre-modern Arabic literature, a phenomenon unique to this literature, where you may find anthologies and compilations on any kind of subject or following diverse themes, from love, wine, travel, death to music, difficult words and blaming or praising things. What were the reasons for the popularity of the genre, and what was its function? To what extent can they be considered as original works in themselves, how the author’s influence can be traced in his manner and method of compiling? What can be inferred from the chosen excerpts over what has been left out by an author and most of the time lost to us? What can these compilations say on the historical and cultural context? These questions and many others were raised about this genre, and continue to rise for the readers and scholars today.
The conference was composed by eight panels on the following themes: “Emotions”, “Pleasure”, “Faith and Education”, “This is not a tale”, “Poetry”, “Compilation, Authorship and Readership”, and “Geography”. Each panel was followed by an open question session, allowing the audience to participate and engage with the participants. A keynote speech was given by Professor Ramzi Baalbaki of the American University of Beirut on the second day, and an honorary guest speech by Professor Beatrice Gruendler of the Freie Universität of Berlin on the third day, after which the conference was concluded by a dinner.
Held in Beirut on May 10-12th 2018
Conference organised by Abdul Rahim Abu-Husayn and Bilal Orfali
Report written by Louise Gallorini
✶ ✶ ✶
This conference was organised over three days by Abdul Rahim Abu-Husayn and Bilal Orfali. The first day of the conference was held on the premises of the American University of Beirut, after which the Bristol Hotel in Beirut became the venue for the second and third days of the conference.
Nadia Maria El Cheikh (Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences - AUB), Bilal Orfali (Chair of the Department of Arabic and Near Eastern Languages - AUB) and Abdul Rahim Abu-Husayn (Director of the Center for Arts and Humanities - AUB) welcomed participants to this conference on Thursday. This conference, which they had hoped to organise for many years, should result in the publication of the papers presented. The different presentations explored the overwhelming presence of anthologies in pre-modern Arabic literature, a phenomenon unique to this literature, where you may find anthologies and compilations on any kind of subject or following diverse themes, from love, wine, travel, death to music, difficult words and blaming or praising things. What were the reasons for the popularity of the genre, and what was its function? To what extent can they be considered as original works in themselves, how the author’s influence can be traced in his manner and method of compiling? What can be inferred from the chosen excerpts over what has been left out by an author and most of the time lost to us? What can these compilations say on the historical and cultural context? These questions and many others were raised about this genre, and continue to rise for the readers and scholars today.
The conference was composed by eight panels on the following themes: “Emotions”, “Pleasure”, “Faith and Education”, “This is not a tale”, “Poetry”, “Compilation, Authorship and Readership”, and “Geography”. Each panel was followed by an open question session, allowing the audience to participate and engage with the participants. A keynote speech was given by Professor Ramzi Baalbaki of the American University of Beirut on the second day, and an honorary guest speech by Professor Beatrice Gruendler of the Freie Universität of Berlin on the third day, after which the conference was concluded by a dinner.
Research Interests:
Mi‘rāj literature is an aspect of islamic eschatological literature built upon a few verses of the Qur’ān pertaining to what came to be known as the night journey and heavenly ascension of Prophet Muḥammad. It was then progressively... more
Mi‘rāj literature is an aspect of islamic eschatological literature built upon a few verses of the Qur’ān pertaining to what came to be known as the night journey and heavenly ascension of Prophet Muḥammad. It was then progressively elaborated and extended in hadīth literature until it could be said that it became a literary genre in itself (Tottoli, 2017), with an elaboration on religious figures such as prophets and angels.
Mi‘rāj literature took then a particular importance in sufi literature, and this is what this paper is interested in : “For the Ṣūfīs, the night journey and ascension of the Prophet became the prototype of the soul's itinerary to God as it rises from the bonds of sensuality to the height of mystical knowledge.” (Böwering, 2005). It is this travel as quest for mystical knowledge - reflecting a well known hadīth on travel for the quest for knowledge - that we will be the main focus of this paper, with an early example of sufi literature which is the Kitāb al-miʿrāj attributed to Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī (d. 261/874–5 or 234/848–9), an important sufi figure interestingly known only by works and sayings attributed to him, as no work authored by him exists (Mojaddedi, 2012). The text used is based on R.A. Nicholson’s edition (1926), and this sufi miʿrāj is possibly the earliest sufi work on the theme (El Azma, 1973). We will look into the story itself with its characters, narrative and the symbolic implications derived from a rendering of a sufi master’s ascension in mimesis to the prophetic ascension, as well as the language used, questioning the context and history of this text.
Mi‘rāj literature took then a particular importance in sufi literature, and this is what this paper is interested in : “For the Ṣūfīs, the night journey and ascension of the Prophet became the prototype of the soul's itinerary to God as it rises from the bonds of sensuality to the height of mystical knowledge.” (Böwering, 2005). It is this travel as quest for mystical knowledge - reflecting a well known hadīth on travel for the quest for knowledge - that we will be the main focus of this paper, with an early example of sufi literature which is the Kitāb al-miʿrāj attributed to Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī (d. 261/874–5 or 234/848–9), an important sufi figure interestingly known only by works and sayings attributed to him, as no work authored by him exists (Mojaddedi, 2012). The text used is based on R.A. Nicholson’s edition (1926), and this sufi miʿrāj is possibly the earliest sufi work on the theme (El Azma, 1973). We will look into the story itself with its characters, narrative and the symbolic implications derived from a rendering of a sufi master’s ascension in mimesis to the prophetic ascension, as well as the language used, questioning the context and history of this text.
Research Interests:
This dissertation is a literary study tracing the roles and functions of angels as characters in the Quranic text and pre-Mongol Sufi literature (7th-12th century CE). The first chapter explores the mythopoeic process related to angels in... more
This dissertation is a literary study tracing the roles and functions of angels as characters in the Quranic text and pre-Mongol Sufi literature (7th-12th century CE). The first chapter explores the mythopoeic process related to angels in the Quranic text, listing their roles and functions, and how they illustrate one of the main cosmological shifts between pre-islamic belief systems and the islamic belief system. The second chapter traces the evolution of these roles and functions in the tafsīr genre, more specifically the Sufi commentary subgenre, with the examples of commentaries by al-Tustarī (d. 283/896) al-Sulamī (d.412/1021), al-Qushayrī (d.465/1072), Ibn Barrajān (d. 536/1141) and Rūzbihān Baqlī (d.606/1209). Out of these arise two additional functions, not found in the Qurʾān, illustrating an evolution in time in the religious world-view. The third and fourth chapters explores these functions in two different examples of Sufi literature of the same period, and which could be considered as “Quranic commentaries” in a general sense. The third chapter thus explores the presence and functions of angels in Sufi miʿrāj narratives, or tales of celestial ascensions ascribed to Sufi masters, with the two main examples of Abū Yazīd al-Bisṭāmī (d. 261/874-5 or 234/848-9) and Muḥyī al-Dīn Ibn ʿArabī (d. 645/1248). The fourth chapter focuses on angels as they appear in the “Meccan Openings” (al-Futūḥāt al-Makkiyya) by Ibn ʿArabī. Angels as characters appear thus to embody a specific multi-layered symbolic function in Sufi texts, whereby they become multivalent characters or signs, whether present or absent from the narrative, signifiers for the readers, both inside and outside the text.
http://hdl.handle.net/10938/22446
http://hdl.handle.net/10938/22446