1) The form or structure of each sura: How would you divide each sura into distinct blocks of text? What is the relationship between the individual blocks within a sura?
2) The contents of each sura: What are their main ideas, themes, topics, common turns of phrase, etc.?
3) Their historical vision: How does each text portray the past? Which aspects of the past are emphasized, who are the protagonists and main agents of history, and what is the role of God in the unfolding of events? How does each sura connect its envisioned past to the (Quranic) present?
4) Their theological positions. What are the main theological emphases and arguments of each sura? Who does each sura argue against?
Discuss both similarities and differences between the two suras. In so doing, you should support your point by referencing pertinent verses. These can be citations (e.g. “Q 19:7”), partial quotations (e.g. “a gate unto Heaven, Q 15:14”), or full quotations (e.g. “He said, ‘Truly I am a servant of God. He has given me the Book and made me a prophet’,” Q 19:30), depending on the nature of your analysis and argument. However, you should avoid quoting large blocks of text—the essay should be largely in your own words, not made up of blocks of Quranic text. focus on is including a thesis statement at the introduction of every essay
Your response should be based primarily on the texts of these suras. You can also consult
