Critical Measure of Leadership Excellence-Samples for Students

Question: Compose an Article Review Reflection on Character Not Charisma is the Critical Measure of Leadership Excellence. Answer: The article Character not moxy is the Critical Measure of Leadership Excellence investigates the qualities of a decent pioneer. The attributes of a pioneer is significant as in guiding principle help in impacting the pioneers conduct, his morals and vision along these lines prompting hierarchical greatness. The fundamental target of the article examined is to assess the hugeness of character in the advancement of authority. The idea of initiative was significant particularly after the universal war. It might be said charm isn't something which is legitimately identified with the running of an association. The idea which is frequently misconstrued is that lone a feeling of power isn't essential for the accomplishment of an association. Then again if a pioneer unmistakably clarifies and shares the vision of the association it turns into a matter of shared interests and the whole association progresses in the direction of a shared objective. Magnetism fundamentally centers around character properties to be specific dynamism, the picture, motivation, the emblematic practices, passionate insight, the compassionate comprehension and unmistakably articulating a dream. There are negativities related with appealling pioneers also. They may become egotistical and narcissistic in the event that they are inclined towards narcissism. On the off chance that the pioneers are progressively focussed on their own objectives, their administration turns out to be increasingly narcissistic, this leads them to consistently concentrate on self help (Character, Not Charisma, Is The Critical Measure of Leadership, 2017). Character is something which depends on the guiding principle of a pioneer. It is a factor which impacts a people vision, conduct and decides their objectives for greatness. A pioneers character ought to never be settled on. It should be guaranteed that a pioneer has honesty as adherents will undoubtedly copy a pioneer. As indicated by directing reports it has been discovered that greater part of individuals feel a pioneers goals or uprightness is undermined when the person in question shows haughtiness, advances personal responsibility, bargains unreasonably and does anything pessimistic. Nature of an association can't be certain and harmonious to greatness without anyone else yet it should be developed fundamentally by the pioneers of associations. On the off chance that the pioneers advance the estimations of energy, dynamic, steadfastness, accomplishment which can advance it towards greatness, different workers and subordinates are probably going to take action accordingly. The ethical quality, the thought, the inventive comprehension of a pioneer is credits which are connected to the character of a pioneer. These are not parts of a pioneers charm. Todays serious world, requires a greater amount of thought, change and basic beliefs instead of data. Administration is something which isn't just essential yet additionally vital to a hierarchical culture which centers around taking a stab at greatness. The primary job in the engendering of a positive culture for a specific association is conceivable as a result of an innovator in the genuine sense. Magnetic conduct isn't negative yet scarcely advantageous in driving all people of an association towards greatness. This encourages us induce that character is the sole standard which enables an association in general to endeavor towards greatness (Character, Not Charisma, Is The Critical Measure of Leadership, 2017). Reference: Character, Not Charisma, Is The Critical Measure of Leadership. (2017).Thewindchime.blogspot.in. Recovered 24 November 2017, from https://thewindchime.blogspot.in/2010/01/character-basic measure-of.html

Luxury Good and Gucci Essay

Gucci‘s generally technique was to vertically incorporate to fortify its general image picture. After vertically incorporating they gained other extravagance retailers to keep on developing on a level plane and to expand economies of degree. The financial aspects of the extravagance products industry changed driving Gucci to alter its technique. Purchasers request moved from exemplary style purchasers to style cognizant purchasers. Gucci not just needed to change because of the financial matters of the business yet they additionally had a few issues with their current structure. Henceforth Gucci made the accompanying moves to reposition it to contend in the new financial aspects of the extravagance merchandise industry. Gucci The organization among DeSole and Ford delivers the company’s powerlessness to have smoothed out dynamic and reliable marking all through the organization. By joining forces item structure and procedure, Gucci would now be able to settle on item and business choices that convey a steady message remotely. All items and correspondences will bolster the brand picture of an extravagance merchandise retailer that Gucci needs to convey to the commercial center. The cost cutting and focused on cutbacks address Gucci’s poor cost structure. While overall revenues were sound, the excessive spending by the previous CEO was diminishing benefit. The organization had abundance headcount in certain territories and less in others. The cutbacks improved Gucci’s cost structure and smooth out the association. Also, Gucci did not have the administration ability to run a very good quality extravagance organization. By laying off failing to meet expectations chiefs and recruiting experienced business administrators, Gucci fundamentally improved the nature of its supervisory crew. The money speculation by PPR shields Gucci from threatening takeovers by contenders. The improvement in Gucci’s capital structure empowers Gucci to move from a securing objective to a potential acquirer of substitutes and new participants. This is basic in light of the fact that in the design business, new brands are continually rising in the market. The $3 billion dollar money venture empowers Gucci to secure its center market better. Moreover, the procurement of YSL through the merger broadens Gucci’s item portfolio and makes high hindrances to passage. Purchasers Due to changing shopper requests, Gucci began to concentrate on style specifically the â€Å"glamorous edge. † Since exchanging cost for shoppers are low and purchasers are currently requesting new molds each season concentrating on regular patterns seriously situated Gucci against its opponents and hindered buyers from discovering substitutes. Gucci changed its objective customer from a more established increasingly preservationist purchaser to a cutting edge, young, design cognizant one. Since all of Gucci’s contenders had a similar objective (30-multi year prosperous ladies) pursuing a cutting edge, young lively purchaser permits Gucci to concentrate on an alternate portion of the extravagance showcase, catching an alternate cut of the pie. To make steadfastness, give shoppers choices, and to keep buyers from exchanging and purchasing a substitute item Gucci chose to change their item collections to relate with the regular patterns. Moreover they expanded the nature of their items practically identical to Hermes and offered these items at an incentive to meet the consumer’s needs. Besides, Gucci custom-made their item grouping in every do to nearby clients to draw in more purchasers in the neighborhood markets. To all the more likely figure item interest for regular merchandise and to keep stock expenses down Gucci added client knowledge to the dynamic procedure to better understanding customers purchasing conduct. So as to acquire higher overall revenues and offer a far reaching line of items it was important for Gucci to broaden its portfolio. Subsequently Gucci acquainted things from scarves with fur garments. To stay centered and keep up its â€Å"luxury status†, Gucci didn't present dissemination product offerings. Gucci had at first set its costs too high henceforth diminishing their retail costs by 30% was important to pull in and keep up client reliability. So as to create interest for the item Gucci multiplied their promoting and transformed Tom Ford into a VIP wanting to draw in media and consideration from around the globe. To reestablish Gucci’s picture as a top of the line extravagance products retailer they remodeled the entirety of their stores to help this new picture. What's more all inside and outside correspondences had a similar look and feel to pass on a reliable brand personality. Besides, they diminished dissemination through retail locations that didn’t bolster the new brand picture paying little mind to deals. Gucci propelled an official site to make mindfulness and display new product offerings and to situate themselves against their rivals. Providers Suppliers are a key driver of profitabilityâ€a key serious power. Providers are liable for conveying a top notch item that fulfills the company’s gauges in quality and that reflects Tom Ford’s imaginative vision. Without quick turnover to fulfill style forward pattern needs and a quality item, the repositioning of the Gucci brand couldn't have occurred. To satisfy this vision Gucci made a motivating force program to keep providers faithful to guarantee a quality item was made, on time conveyance, and it would keep the providers from fashioning associations with Gucci’s contenders. Also, Gucci made providers increasingly proficient through innovation and coordinations speculations, gave preparing to providers and constructed an EDI arrange permitting Gucci to effectively speak with accomplice providers through the creation procedure. As more style items will be created each season alongside the exemplary items, conveyance and fulfilling need could turn into an issue if creation forms are not productive. Putting resources into providers guarantees that provider danger, which is high, is controlled and providers have motivating forces to remain with Gucci. Provider danger is high a direct result of there is a nonappearance of substitutes providers. Exchanging costs are high for Gucci †different providers might be delivering for their adversaries. Different providers may not convey the quality and craftsmanship Gucci is anticipating. Furthermore, different providers don't have involvement with creating Gucci items (current providers have been with Gucci for long time). Henceforth they will have a more drawn out expectation to absorb information hindering the creation procedure. There are hardly any providers in explicit locales: Gucci providers had creation ability to meet Gucci’s development (20-30% every year). In any case, finding new providers would be going into Prada’s region. With more development, providers picked up haggling power with sub-providers and with Gucci. At first, Gucci had power since providers stressed that Gucci would go abroad for providers. Complementors are a not a high danger to Gucci on the grounds that there just a couple of them, media and publicizing. Rivalry There are numerous organizations in this industry since net revenues are high. Anyway with the number and volume of M&A action on the ascent, solidification is up and coming with a couple of huge players left in the market. Solidification among rivalry has given contenders lower cost structure bringing about an upper hand, for example, advertisement buying limits and provider arranging power. The contenders have a differentiated item portfolio to focus on numerous fragments of the market. They command specifically portions, for instance Hermes and cowhide sacks. Since there is moderate industry development hastening battles for piece of the pie is sure to happen. This may bring about a high danger from contenders, for example, LVMH and Prada. Danger of Entry The danger of passage is low since brand personality and item separation has been entrenched in this industry. What's more, access to appropriation channels is constrained and the new participant would rival previously settled channels of conveyance for Gucci and others firms. Gucci and different contenders have significant assets to retaliate in light of the fact that they of their financial assets and could discourage the new contestant or get them out.

A Review Of The Role Of Moral Reasoning In Burglary Offences - 1

A Review Of The Role Of Moral Reasoning In Burglary Offences' - 1 A Review Of The Role Of Moral Reasoning In Burglary Offences' â€" Assignment Example > IntroductionTo understand vividly burglary in relation to moral development, it is important to review work done by great psychologist like Jean Piaget, Lawrence Kohlberg, Carol Gilligan and Howitt Dennis among other renowned writers. Lawrence Kohlberg actually developed his argument from Jean Piaget’s work to illustrate maturity of moral reasoning. While Piaget explained two stage of moral development, Kohlberg gave a six stage model executed within pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional levels. From the six stages, it is obvious that moral development occurs continuously through life of an individual. This literature will start by reviewing Piaget’s work which acted as basis for Kohlberg. Piaget’s TheoryResearch done by Piaget contributed a lot to understanding moral development in children. Originally, Piaget focused on moral lives of young children by studying how they played with intent of comprehending child’s belief of right and wrong. Piaget made a c onclusion that development starts when a child constructs and reconstructs own awareness after interacting with environment (Piaget, 1932). When children are playing, they usually integrate their own rules so that the game is fairly completed. Piaget further interviewed children on the topic of stealing and lying. Response indicated that children were able to discriminate meaning of the words and real action. This mean that children begin from heteronomous stage of moral reasoning which has the characteristic of following rules and duties to the latter while also obeying the authorities. The heteronomy emanates from a child’s cognitive structure where the thinking of young children has features of egocentrism. This means that children cannot take into consideration their own views with the perception of others. Egocentrism makes children project their individual thoughts onto others. It also has relationship with uni-directional view of regulations and command associated with mo ral idea. In a nutshell, moral idea values the results of an action rather than intents. A young child belief in immanent justice has close association with moral realism. It means that a child expects punishment as a result of any immoral act like burglary. Another specific factor contributing to heteronomous moral thoughts in children is socialization process with adults. Normally, power is handed down from adults to children during a socialization process. In such a case, powerless young children with their egocentrism contribute to heteronomous ethical orientation. As children look for fair play during games, they find strict heteronomous observance to rules challenging. This makes them consider those rules critically and eventually apply them with an objective of deriving respect and cooperation among participants. It then represents a shift from egocentrism to a stage of perspective thinking where reciprocity and mutual respect forms the base. From this analysis, it is appare nt that Piaget viewed moral development as a product of interpersonal development. Kohlberg’s theoryKohlberg agreed with Piaget that children form approaches to thinking as a result of their daily experiences. Research done by Kohlberg went beyond the age bracket studied by Piaget to determine that moral maturity took longer time and assumes a gradual process. As a result, Kohlberg Identified Six stages of attaining moral reasoning which are discussed in subsequent paragraphs.

Media Representation Of The Media - 1149 Words

Almost every person in the world has some access to media. Whether it is through electronics like social media or the internet, or through printed media, it shapes a person’s view on many aspects of society. Media represents a vast array of societal issues. â€Å"Media representation is a way in which the media portrays groups, communities, experiences, ideas or topics from a particular ideological or vale perspective† (Beach). One of the bigger issues media portrays is gender. In today’s culture the issue of the difference between men and women can be seen heavily in media. In roles actors and actresses play on television, and through songs gender representation is an issue that is present. Most of the representations however are negative. It plays off of the stereotypes that are associated with men and women. In this ever-changing society media, through various forms of entertainment, plays a negative role in the representation of gender. Most of the shows and movies on television are where people see the negative representation of gender. It is becoming a bigger issue as society advances. One way that media represents gender negatively is with the roles in which actors and actresses are given. These roles depict the â€Å"typical† characteristics belonging to both men and women. For example, the movie 12 Rounds is a movie with the stereotype that men are powerful and they need to save someone, and women are weak and need a man’s help. The main character, which again is a man,Show MoreRelatedThe Representation Of Media Representation2107 Words   |  9 Pagesvast globalized world, representation is present and has left its impact everywhere, from politics to media to parts of our everyday life. Representation is defined as the description or portrayal of someone or something in a particular way (Oxford University Press, 2016). This has shaped the way people think, talk and view the things around them. Thus, media represent ation is the portrayal of a group, community, person, event, idea, experience or perspective by the media, regardless of whether itRead MoreThe Representation Of The Media1624 Words   |  7 PagesThe Mass media is the communication of spoken, written, or broadcast information or idea to a large audience. This could be through various medium such as newspapers, magazines, television, Internet, radio, movies, video games and others. This essay will analyse the representation of crime in newspapers and television. Newspapers are a very important type of media that keep the public informed about happening in the society and around the world. The newspapers tend to give a negative or an exaggeratedRead MoreThe Representation Of The Media2051 Words   |  9 PagesThe media is one of the most powerful, if not the most powerful, ways though which social issues are influenced. The influence exerted on the issue can either help resolve it, or make it worse. As such, the information a prese nted in the media is very specific so as to control the direction of certain issues. Such issues may include war, immigration, or gay rights. As far as gays rights are concerned, the progression of this issue has been very slow due to the portrayal of gays in the media. FirstRead MoreRepresentation of Women in the Media618 Words   |  3 PagesRepresentations of women in the media Miley Cyrus made media headline around the world, during and after her performance on one of America’s biggest award shows, MTV video music awards (VMAs). Miley Cyrus was accompanied by Robin Thicke a popular Rb musician, who also performed a song, however it seemed Miley Cyrus received the most backlash for her behavior and performance at the awards. Instantaneously a still shot from the performance went viral and immediately created a bad representationRead MoreGender Representation Of The Media1147 Words   |  5 PagesGender representation in the media has sparked a lot of arguments amongst many scholars regarding the way females are depicted (Broude Garrard, 1995: Thornham, 2007). Over the last few years many female emancipation campaigns targeted at correcting the current representation of females in the media have emerged (Carson, Dittmar Welsch, 1994: Miller, 2003). But is the media really representing women as sexual objects? This is a question that lingers in the minds of many people whenever this argumentRead MoreGender Representation Of The Media1549 Words   |  7 PagesMedia Benchmark- How is gender represented in the media? Women A representation is when a media text such as a newspaper, magazine or film represent ideas or events to us in a distorted view. A representation is not the true picture; it is re-presented after a specific event has occurred. The representation will be opinion based and it will invite the audience to identify with them. All of the representations have a mode of address too depending on their target audience depends on how they representRead MoreThe Representation Of Gender And Media978 Words   |  4 PagesNowadays the representation of gender in media has become very common. It is all about the representation of phenomenally rapid change: change’s in gender relation transformations in media technologies, regulatory frameworks, content ownership and theoretical revolutions in the approaches used to make sense of gender representations. Gender and media aims to freeze the frame, press the pause button, or hit the refresh key to construct that how media shows social stereotype s. There are many advertisementsRead MoreRepresentation Of Male And Media1870 Words   |  8 PagesREPRESENTATION OF MALES IN MEDIA WHAT IS REPRESENTATION IN MEDIA? I would like to start by defining representation in the media as the courses in which the media depicts specific gatherings, groups, encounters, thoughts, or subjects from a specific ideological or quality point of view. Instead of analysing media representations as essentially reflecting reality. For example, alcohol advertisements depict drinking as an essential segment for hosting a gathering. SUV advertisements make the feelingRead MoreMedia Representation in Lgbt1343 Words   |  6 PagesMedia and its representation of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transsexual (LGBT) themes has been prevalent throughout time. According to the collections of studies and stories by Meem, Mitchell and Jonathan (2010) concerning LGBT individuals, it is important to represent such themes because it is able to enlighten people on how our society as a whole, has become dynamic. The Media can be seen as a â€Å"central source† where negative perceptions can be created. As a result, stereotypes can be either createdRead MoreThe Gender Representation Of Media Essay2172 Words   |  9 PagesGender Representation in Media Media (advertising, television and other forms in which consumers obtain content) is a forum that has such an immense power, a power that the common lay man just doesn’t realize. Advertising for example is perceived 95% subconsciously without us or our brains realizing. Due to this, media has a major part in affecting and changing our lives as we are constantly fed on the â€Å"normal† way to live or â€Å"how it should be done.† Suddenly something that we definitely didn’t need

History of Baseball Worldwide - 1210 Words

To some, Baseball is just a sport, but to others, baseball is a way of life. In the United States, but young kids mostly coming from a Hispanic country and tend to do nothing except eat, sleep, and breathe the sport of baseball. The importance of the sport gives those kids a chance to make something to look forward to in their lives. The reason why parents push their kids so hard with baseball is so that those kids can have a chance to escape their life of poverty that their parents went through. Therefore, by playing baseball all day, everyday, which then gives them a chance. The exact place the sport of Baseball started is still being discuss be many historians, but some would say that it was In the United States, which is why baseball†¦show more content†¦If you are living in that community, most of the children there do not even have the opportunity to eat as much as they want or drink as much water as they want because of the lack of supplies. Since these necessities are not even being met, then going to school to get an education is out of the question. These kids are also too young and uneducated to try to do the jobs that pay well, so they have to live off spare change from people, which is why baseball is sometimes the most important thing in their life. From the time they are little, Hispanic boys (mainly in those three countries) are enticed by the dream of a professional career in baseball (â€Å"Ilovebaseball†, n.d). If you do not go to school and you live in a poor neighborhood, the only thing you really look forward to in the se areas is to be able to play the game of baseball. As a young boy (8-12), kids are beginning to practice for baseball full time. They completely do not even attempt to get an education because they are too focused on achieving their goal as a professional baseball player. While this is great for the boys that â€Å"make it,† becoming baseball stars with million-dollar major league contracts, the reality is that ninety-eight percent don’t. Sadly, these 18- and 19-year-old young men return home toShow MoreRelatedAmerica s National Pastime Of Baseball Essay1518 Words   |  7 PagesSince its grand entry in the 19th century, baseball has evolved to be one of the most popular sport nationally and to be known as America’s national pastime. This multibillion dollar industry attracts millions of fans worldwide throughout different regions. The origin of baseball is believed to have evolved from a ball-and-bat game called Seker-Hemant played by ancient Egyptians datin g as far back as 2,500 BCE. Fast-forwarding time, modern day baseball began with the formation of the Cincinnati RedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Crooked Letter By Tom Franklin1460 Words   |  6 Pagesthe novel, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, Tom Franklin, teaches writing there and one of the two protagonists in the novel, Silas, received a baseball scholarship to study and he moved to Oxford. Ole Miss University embodies Southern history, literature, opportunity and tradition. The University of Mississippi has almost two centuries of history and it is unique for several reasons. Ole miss was established in 1844 in Oxford, in Mississippi, as a public foundation of higher educationRead MoreBarry Bonds and Steroids Essay1125 Words   |  5 PagesHave you noticed the size of Barry Bonds’ entire body over the past couple years? His muscles grew big, and his endurance increased over time which allowed him to play baseball for as long as he had. Barry Bonds was a baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the San Francisco Giants for 21 years. He had to overcome some huge injuries, including a huge knee problem at the end of his career. The only way that he was able to lift so much while he still was recovering is a topic that has been discussedRead MoreBabe Ruth. Biography1346 Words   |  6 Pageswearing a glove and swinging a bat.† - Babe Ruth. George Herman Ruth Jr. this man was born onto this earth on February 6, 1895, and Passed away on August 16, 1948(Schumach). This man is an American icon first, and a baseball legend last. Babe single handedly changed the way of Baseball and how It was played. He rescued the game from the dark days of the dead ball era. Babe’s great deeds on the field weren’t recognized that easily. He needed the help of sportswriters and advertisers to spread his legendRead MoreThe History of Softball729 Words   |  3 PagesHistory of Softball This paper is going to be over the topic of softball. The history of softball, how it has changed over the years as well as the creation and invention. Believe it or not softball was created by males. People consider it a women’s sport though. Softball was created in 1887 when men joined together in Chicago Farragut baseball club to listen to Harvard vs Yale football game. The inventor of indoor baseball was George Hancock. The reason it was invented it because aRead MoreA Letter to the Minister of Sports in Singapore863 Words   |  3 Pagesï » ¿A Letter to the Minister of Sport in Singapore Dear Sir: Millions of people worldwide wonder why competitive athletes cant just use their natural God-given strengths and talent and hence, eliminate the tedious reports of cheating in sports. This letter delves into the issues that officials and team administrators deal with vis-à  -vis banned substances, and takes the position that society urgently must find solutions for cheating in sports. I hope you have time to give consideration to the materialsRead MoreBaseball And Its Impact On America s National Pastime Essay1481 Words   |  6 PagesSince its grand entry in the 19th century, baseball has evolved to be one of the most popular sport nationally and to be known as America’s national pastime. This multibillion dollar industry attracts millions of fans worldwide throughout different regions. The origin of baseball is believed to have evolved from a ball-and-bat game called Seker-Hemant played by ancient Egyptians dating as far back as 2,500 BCE. Fast-forwarding time, m odern day baseball began with the formation of the Cincinnati RedRead MorePepsi Of Coca Cola History1338 Words   |  6 Pages(â€Å"Coca-Cola History† 1) Pemberton was looking to make a profit and, since the temperance movement prohibited alcohol, recognized that there was an increasingly large market for soda fountain drinks (â€Å"The Invention of Coca-Cola† 1). Making a syrup that he brought to local pharmacies to mix with carbonated water, he invented Coca-Cola. During its first year on the market Coca-Cola averaged about 9 servings a day in Atlanta; now, daily sales average about 1.9 billion a day, worldwide (â€Å"Coca-Cola History† 1)Read MoreJackie Robinsons Leadership Style1441 Words   |  6 Pagesmotivate others. An outstanding example of a great leader is Jackie Robinson. On April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson shocked the world and changed not only the history of sports, but changed America. Facing the criticism, ignoring the racial slurs, and foll owing his true passion, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Jack Roosevelt Robinson, better known as Jackie Robinson, was born in Cairo, Georgia on January 31, 1919. Him and his four siblings were taken care ofRead MorePerformance Enhancing Drugs In Sports Essay1574 Words   |  7 PagesPerformance enhancing drugs should be eliminated from all sports because they create an unfair competitive advantage. I am against the use of Performance Enhancing Drugs in sports because it is a worldwide problem that takes the integrity out of the game. There are so many people involved from trainers, players and coaches. In the past athletes played for love of the game, today however, the players have so much more at stake then just being able to play the game because they love it. Athletes

Albert Bierstadt †Romanticism Free Essays

During the 19th century Romanticism era, Albert Brassiest was one of the most influential painters brought into this time. Brassiest best known for his paintings that took place in the later sass that predominantly consisted of the landscapes of the American West. Although Brassiest was not the first painter to record these sites, he was the one painter who had people look forward to his own version of these paintings. We will write a custom essay sample on Albert Bierstadt – Romanticism or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the sass, Brassiest went west for the first time and it would change his life as well as the lives of others that got the chance to experience his paintings and ketches. One artwork of his in particular was titled â€Å"The Oregon Trail† (1869). This painting was taken place during The Oregon Trail as Brassiest sketched and painted the emigrants, animals, and wagons being lugged across hundreds of miles Just so these people can try and find land to live and settle on. Comparing Birthrate’s ideas and forms of art to the Romanticism Era can basically go hand in hand. Romanticism is a style of art and literature in the late 18th, early 19th century that emphasized the passion and imaginations of people, animals, scenery, etc. This all compares to Birthrate’s work, especially The Oregon Trail because Brassiest really seizes the emotion of these people has they walked hundreds of miles in the blazing heat Just to support their families and make something out of them selves. Brassiest was notorious for making viewers feel the same way he did as he was capturing these moments in plain site. Brassiest was very successful in doing Just that. Being a part of the Romantic Cultural Movement is something to be excited about. Being an important part of the Romanticism Era is something to be proud of. Albert Brassiest was an important part in this Era as well as the Cultural Movement. As many critics did not like how Brassiest put his thoughts on the canvas, Brassiest did not really care. Making dozens of paintings not changing a single thing about his technique and the way he did his paintings and the methods that he used. In an article about Brassiest and other 19th century painters, critics only had negative judgments about Birthrate’s paintings, one being, â€Å"†¦ Hen some critics said they dislike the way that Brassiest put on paint, they appear to have been criticizing his manner of representation?they were saying he was not good enough at putting mint on canvas to make a successful illusion of the object represented† (Mayer and Myers, 62). With Brassiest getting tortured by words for most of his career, he had the drive to be one of the best painters during the Romanticism Era an d he lucratively did Just that. Birthrate’s methods were methods that no other painter really had any skill with before. Albert painted in extremely thin layers, and in some places Albert increased the transparency of the paint so it may allow some of the under layers in the painting to be shown more visibly then they were before. This is what made it radar for critics to understand what he was trying to do with all of his paintings. Brassiest tries to capture every moment, every tear in his painting, every reaction is caught and put down on a canvas and some people did not appreciate that. Brassiest is an important part to this Cultural Movement because he showed individuals that anything is possible when putting it on a canvas. He captured Romanticism at its finest and really captured the moments as he did in The Oregon Trail (1869). The Oregon Trail is a piece of work that relates directly toward Romanticism. Why does it? Because the emotion that Brassiest put into this painting is the amount of passion you need for any line of work. Brassiest when finished made viewers appreciate what it meaner to be those type of people and what those people have to go through day in and day out. These spectators could understand all of that by looking at a painting on a canvas. The meaning of Romanticism as said earlier is the emphasis of emotions and imagination has in literature and art. Brassiest explained this perfectly by the way the animals and people are walking, to the sky and the sunlight that is beating down on them. The different colors mixed in the painting to give it this look of standing there as one and Brassiest is presenting in this painting that these emigrants are all staying as one group no matter what. As Brassiest headed out west and took in these historical moments, he had many things to say about his time but one thing to say about The Oregon Trail, â€Å"Every wagon was a gem of an interior such as no Fleming ever put on canvas, and every group a genre piece for Bought. The whole picture of the train was such a delight in form, color, and spirit, that I could have lingered near it all the way to Kerrey’ (Hendricks, 342). This explains Birthrate’s love for people and scenery. A perfect example of Idealization, the emotion and the imagination as Birthrate’s covers this historic moment. The Oregon Trail (1869) – Albert Brassiest Albert Brassiest was a man with a gift. As anyone can see above he clearly changed the way people paint and the way people think about a painting. Albert aspired the viewers to notice the detail he puts into his paintings because in every one he gives the observer a message that we could take with us the rest of our lives (I. E. Never give up and always strive for greatness, etc. ). When you analyze Birthrate’s paintings folks and different scholars look at the attention to detail he gives by enhancing layer upon layer to his paintings and how Brassiest paints with such passion. In the above painting The Oregon Trail (1869) you can see the feeling from the people, animals, and even the sunlight and trees. Brassiest wants us to view and understand what these people had to go through Just from looking at a painting. The way Brassiest caught every moment is pure art. During the Romanticism time nobody would be able to paint and really seize a flash of time quite like Brassiest could. He was the painter of the Romanticism era; everything he has done has shown true emotion. Toward the end of his career, critics were skeptical on when Brassiest was going to arise to the top once again, but he never did. Still to this day people are writing different blurbs in magazines and such about Brassiest, â€Å"The most fatal flaw of the catalogue, (and of the exhibition that it represents) is that it makes Brassiest look like a mediocre artist, which I for one do not believe he is† (Stubbiness, Jar. , 91). The piece of art can represent the Romantic Cultural Movement in many ways, one being, hat this painting shows more emotion that any painting I have seen before. The depth and description that Brassiest goes through to complete this artwork is beyond anything audiences have seen before. The passion that these travelers are feeling on their horses and in their wagons, he shows us all. Brassiest displays through one painting what it was like to be one of those travelers during that time period. The Oregon Trail (1869) as well as any other pieces of artwork of his should be represented in the Romantic Cultural Movement. Brassiest was always careful of the work he had done, a quote from an article written by Dare Myers Heartfelt, â€Å". Brassiest was both concerned and knowledgeable about the preservation of paintings, and in fact, the canvases, even extremely large ones, that he mounted on panel-back stretchers often still do not require lining after more than 100 years, testifying at least to the efficacy of panel-back stretchers† (39). Brassiest was a man that cared for each and everything that he has done. He is the meaning of the Romantic Era especially with the work he has done. Brassiest was a artist during the Romanticism Era that everyone looked up at. He was a huge role model as well as a great painter. The landscape paintings that he has done abundant times in his career have simply been indescribable. The way Brassiest captures a certain flash of time is unbearable to say the least. Brassiest did not get many great reviews in his time due to the fact that his method and the way he did his landscape paintings did not relate to other painters during the Romanticism Era. Brassiest did not Just paint though, he in fact made painting into a lifestyle that we can all take interest in. He changed the Romantic Cultural Movement simply because of the emotion he brought to viewers eyes every time he would finish piece of work. How to cite Albert Bierstadt – Romanticism, Papers

The Benefits Of Online Shoppings Essay Example For Students

The Benefits Of Online Shoppings Essay The benefits of online shopping With the increase of internet usage, the internet has impacted and taken over our society today. We use the internet for almost everything including; communication, shopping, world news, and even school. Booking a flight or a hotel via the internet has become the way to go to save money and time. People are able to shop for different hotels and flights without using a travel agency. I remember shopping with my mother, making a grocery list, and clipping coupons. Now, there are websites for just coupons. The internet has definitely cut out the extra work of looking in so many newspapers. Online shopping may be the most popular way to shop. The internet is a great source for shoppers looking to broaden their choices of products to buy. There are three ways online shopping can be profitable and easy. It gives shoppers the ability to compare prices, shop 24/7, and no waiting in long lines at stores. We will write a custom essay on The Benefits Of Online Shoppings specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now First, there is the ability to compare prices at more than one store at one time when online shopping. It is possible to compare prices to other stores wh.

3 Common Latin Expressions

3 Common Latin Expressions 3 Common Latin Expressions 3 Common Latin Expressions By Maeve Maddox Not too many generations ago, any child privileged enough to attend school beyond the age of seven or so studied Latin. A vestige of what was once a universal educational practice can be found in the use of these three Latin terms used by English speakers: mea culpa in memoriam R.I.P. Ive seen mea culpa misspelled as mia culpa, and in memoriam misspelled as in memorium. As for R.I.P. seen in cartoon drawings of tombstones and on Halloween-related decorations, many speakers are unaware that the initials R.I.P. stand for a Latin phrase. mea culpa [mÄ Ã‰â„¢ koolpÉ™]:my fault. The expression is part of a prayer of repentance, but it is often used in a secular context to mean its my fault. I know a classics professor who likes to translate it as my bad! If you feel really guilty, you can say, Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea MAXima culpa! The misspelling mia probably results from saying /mee-uh/ instead of /may-uh/. The Latin word culpa, crime, fault, blame, is at the root of several English words: culpable, culpability, culprit, exculpate, and exculpatory. in memoriam: in memory of. Tennyson named his long poem to the memory of his friend Hallam In Memoriam. English words from Latin memor, mindful, remembering, include: memory, memorable, immemorable (not worth remembering), immemorial (ancient beyond memory), memorize, commemorate, and commemoration. R.I.P., the initial letters of the Latin phrase Requiescat in pace: may he/she rest in peace. As it happens, the English translation Rest in peace gives the same initial letters of the Latin original. Latin requies, rest, repose, gives us the word requiem, Capitalized, a Requiem is a Mass for the repose of the soul of the dead. A generalized sense of requiem is any formal tribute to a departed soul. English words that derive from the same Latin source as requiem are quiet, quiescent, quiescence, and inquiet. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Expressions category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Idioms About Legs, Feet, and Toes40 Synonyms for â€Å"Different†Prepositions to Die With

Presidential Cabinet and Its Purpose

Presidential Cabinet and Its Purpose A presidential cabinet is a group of the most senior appointed officers of the executive branch of the federal government. Members of the presidential cabinet are nominated by the commander in chief and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.  White House records describe the role of presidential cabinet members as being to advise the president on any subject he may require relating to the duties of each members respective office. There are 23 members of the presidential cabinet, including the vice president of the United States. How the First Cabinet Was Created Authority for the creation of a presidential cabinet is granted in  Article II Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution  gives the president the authority to seek external advisors. It states that the president can require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices. Congress, in turn, determines the number and scope of executive Departments. Who Can Serve on the Presidential Cabinet? A member of the presidential cabinet cannot be a member of Congress or a sitting governor. Article I Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution  states   ... No person holding any office under the United States, shall be a member of either house during his continuance in office. Sitting governors, U.S. senators and members of the House of Representatives must resign before being sworn in as a member of the presidential cabinet. How Members Are Chosen The president nominates cabinet officers. The nominees are then presented to the U.S. Senate for confirmation or rejection on a simple majority vote. If approved, the presidential cabinet nominees are sworn in and begin their duties. Who Gets to Sit on the Presidential Cabinet? With the exception of the vice president and attorney general, all cabinet heads are called secretary. The modern cabinet includes the vice president and the heads of 15 executive departments. In addition, seven other individuals have cabinet rank. Those seven others with cabinet rank are the: White House chief of staffEnvironmental Protection Agency administratorOffice of Management Budget directorU.S. Trade Representative ambassadorU.S. Mission to the United Nations ambassadorCouncil of Economic Advisers chairmanSmall Business Administration administrator The secretary of State is the highest-ranking member of the presidential cabinet. The secretary of State is also fourth in the line of succession to the presidency behind the vice president, the speaker of the House and Senate president pro tempore. Cabinet officers serve as the heads of the following executive agencies of the government: AgricultureCommerceDefenseEducationEnergyInteriorJusticeLaborHealth and Human ServicesHomeland SecurityHousing and Urban DevelopmentStateTransportationTreasuryVeterans Affairs History of The Cabinet The presidential cabinet dates to the first American president, George Washington. He appointed a Cabinet of four people: Secretary of State  Thomas Jefferson; Secretary of the Treasury  Alexander Hamilton; Secretary of War  Henry Knox; and Attorney General Edmund Randolph. Those four cabinet positions remain the most important to the president to this day. Line of Succession The presidential cabinet is an important part of the presidential line of succession, the process that determines who will serve as president upon the incapacity, death, resignation, or removal from office of a sitting president or a president-elect. The presidential line of succession is spelled out in the Presidential Succession Act of 1947. Because of this, it is common practice not to have the entire cabinet in one location at the same time, even for ceremonial occasions such as  the State of the Union Address. Typically, one member of the presidential cabinet serves as the designated survivor, and they are held at a secure, undisclosed location, ready to take over if the president, vice president and the rest of the cabinet are killed. Here is the  line of succession to the presidency: Vice PresidentSpeaker of the House of RepresentativesPresident Pro Tempore of the SenateSecretary of StateSecretary of the TreasurySecretary of DefenseAttorney GeneralSecretary of the InteriorSecretary of AgricultureSecretary of CommerceSecretary of LaborSecretary of Health and Human ServicesSecretary of Housing and Urban DevelopmentSecretary of TransportationSecretary of EnergySecretary of EducationSecretary of Veterans AffairsSecretary of Homeland Security

The Native Language Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Native Language - Essay Example The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice. The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progressive movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving them. If I am telling about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, consonants, and appli cable advanced literacy skills in the voice. According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible for who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak.... The factor responsible for the gearing up of my voice change is that I am using literature skills in my voice. Friends are the only people who can influence a person tremendously on how he or she situates his or her voice (Klaiman 6). The employment of consonants and vowels in my speech is a key factor indicating a progression movement in my voice thus introducing a radical change in this voice. My voice simply indicates to the people the true meaning of the message I am giving then. If I am telling of about a certain issue, the way I construct my sentence and the voice portrayed means a lot in terms understanding and the intensity of that certain topic (Klaiman 7). In this world, my voice hugely portrays who I am passionate that is how it describes my personality (Klaiman 7). People will tend to observe how I present my language amongst the public. This aid in respect and admiration from the people depending on the smooth flow my voice with the employment of beautiful vowels, conson ants and applicable advanced literature skills in the voice (Klaiman 8). According to Smith the voice of Barrack Obama simply describes even his powers in the states. One can actually feel the thrill accompanying his voice. The courage applied, sentence construction and many more literature skills employed in most of his speeches. As for me, the employment of these skills will automatically lead to a powerful picture to the public. My voice is responsible of who I am in this world because it indicates the power within it as I speak. The intense of the voice quality uttered might be of a huge effect in the portrayal of a person’s real class and power. Many will simply analyze what you do via your voice (Klaiman 9). Thesis on Zadie Smith and Amys’

Managing workers who work from home an telecomute Research Paper

Managing workers who work from home an telecomute - Research Paper Example This aids concentration on work for longer time. Furthermore, greater autonomy and flexibility in work schedules act as a motivator (Bennett, 2009). Moreover, offering telecommuting work arrangements allows organizations to recruit people with the greatest potential. This is because geographical distances became immaterial when telecommuting arrangement are offered. In fact, organizations are also in a position to employ disables, elderly, and other individuals, who are mentally capable to work but their physical condition hinders them from working on-site. Various researches have revealed that increased number of employees working in far-off locations or at home has greatly reduced labour-turnover and absenteeism rates (Watad & Jenkins, 2010). Undoubtedly, organizational overheads have gone down with the advent of telecommuting. Investment and expenditures on parking lots, office buildings, and rents have registered a sharp downfall with the growing trend of telecommuting. Organizat ions involved in managing telecommute workers rely on trusting employees, give greater autonomy and empowerment to workers, and measure performance against outcomes. Disadvantages Although, telecommuting has immensely benefited organizations, it has also presented various challenges. The fundamental disadvantage is the difficulty of supervision and monitoring employee performance. Establishing an organizational culture based on trust and supportive relationships is particularly difficult for employees who hardly ever interact face-to-face. In consideration of this reason, a combination of on the site work and telecommuting is given preference over complete telecommuting arrangement. Therefore, telecommuting is increasingly being considered more as a complement than substitute to on-site work. Research has revealed that autocratic managers and organizational cultures that previously exercised a line-of-sight approach find telecommuting unsettling and unproductive to the organization (Watad & Will, 2003). Traditional line managers who managed through observation and not results find it difficult to implement telecommuting. This even threatens the liability and compensation of telecommute workers. Therefore, telecommuting should be supported by training and development to teach employers how to conduct meetings, evaluate work, use simulation programs etc. Increasing number of telecommute workers means greater loss of control and distrust amongst the employers. This forces employees, as well as the supervisors, to work harder in order to develop and sustain a relationship with workers. Furthermore, telecommute workers may not be as productive in the first few months of employment. This low productivity can be attributed to the fact that employees, managers, and co-workers need time to understand the new working condition. Telecommuting hinders synergy and teamwork between telecommuters and their colleagues. Additionally, office setup may be inadequate to support t elecommuting, leading to low productivity. Thus, managers need to show patience until telecommuters can settle in. Ultimately, the productivity is likely to go up as reported by majority of the employers worldwide. Most importantly, telecommuting can adversely affect a person’s career prospects. This is because organizations rarely promote those employees to management positions that

MBA Admissions Essay - My Most Significant Leadership Role :: MBA College Admissions Essays

MBA Admissions Essays - My Most Significant Leadership Role During the last three years I have devoted a significant amount of time and energy to the betterment of young entrepreneurs, who in this country are mistreated, stripped of opportunities, and looked down upon. In my quest to start my own business, I faced many obstacles that I later found to plague all entrepreneurs in my country. Established family heads discourage their younger members from starting separate businesses; they would rather their younger members join them in the so called "safe business." Moreover, companies and government organizations will not award contracts to young people since older people earn respect for their age rather than their ideas in this traditional sub-continental culture. With an uncooperative family and no sources of funding, young entrepreneurs face little chance of success. In these difficult conditions, I realized there were many young people who were full of potential but lacked support. By meeting with these people, I motivated them to believe that together we could help improve collective situation. In October 1996,the seventeen of us founded the "Young Entrepreneurs Society" (YES). I served as the coordinator for the first two years. We figured that in order to get our message heard, we needed to prove ourselves a significant lot. We started with social activities like helping poor students with registration fees for matriculation exams and organizing blood donation activities, etc. We held our first seminar on the "Prospect of Software Development Business in Bangladesh and the Government's Role, " and five months later we had our second seminar on the "Obstacles for Young Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh' with the finance minister as the chief guest. MBA Admissions Essay - My Most Significant Leadership Role :: MBA College Admissions Essays MBA Admissions Essays - My Most Significant Leadership Role During the last three years I have devoted a significant amount of time and energy to the betterment of young entrepreneurs, who in this country are mistreated, stripped of opportunities, and looked down upon. In my quest to start my own business, I faced many obstacles that I later found to plague all entrepreneurs in my country. Established family heads discourage their younger members from starting separate businesses; they would rather their younger members join them in the so called "safe business." Moreover, companies and government organizations will not award contracts to young people since older people earn respect for their age rather than their ideas in this traditional sub-continental culture. With an uncooperative family and no sources of funding, young entrepreneurs face little chance of success. In these difficult conditions, I realized there were many young people who were full of potential but lacked support. By meeting with these people, I motivated them to believe that together we could help improve collective situation. In October 1996,the seventeen of us founded the "Young Entrepreneurs Society" (YES). I served as the coordinator for the first two years. We figured that in order to get our message heard, we needed to prove ourselves a significant lot. We started with social activities like helping poor students with registration fees for matriculation exams and organizing blood donation activities, etc. We held our first seminar on the "Prospect of Software Development Business in Bangladesh and the Government's Role, " and five months later we had our second seminar on the "Obstacles for Young Entrepreneurs in Bangladesh' with the finance minister as the chief guest.

Arabic Literature

Arabic literature Main article:  Arabic literature Main article:  Literature of Morocco Ibn Tufail  (Abubacer) and  Ibn al-Nafis  were pioneers of the  philosophical novel. Ibn Tufail wrote the first fictional Arabic  novel  Hayy ibn Yaqdhan  (Philosophus Autodidactus) as a response to  al-Ghazali's  The Incoherence of the Philosophers, and then Ibn al-Nafis also wrote a novel  Theologus Autodidactus  as a response to Ibn Tufail's  Philosophus Autodidactus.Both of these narratives had  protagonists(Hayy in  Philosophus Autodidactus  and Kamil in  Theologus Autodidactus) who were  autodidactic  feral children  living in seclusion on adesert island, both being the earliest examples of a desert island story. However, while Hayy lives alone with animals on the desert island for the rest of the story in  Philosophus Autodidactus, the story of Kamil extends beyond the desert island setting in  Theologus Autodidactus, developing into the earlies t known  coming of age  plot and eventually becoming the first example of a  science fictionnovel. 17][18] Theologus Autodidactus, written by the  Arabian  polymath  Ibn al-Nafis  (1213–1288), is the first example of a science fiction novel. It deals with various science fiction elements such as  spontaneous generation,  futurology, the  end of the world and doomsday,resurrection, and the  afterlife. Rather than giving supernatural or mythological explanations for these events, Ibn al-Nafis attempted to explain these plot elements using the  scientific knowledge  of  biology,  astronomy,  cosmology  and  geology  known in his time.His main purpose behind this science fiction work was to explain  Islamic  religious teachings in terms of  science  and  philosophy  through the use of fiction. [19] A  Latin  translation of Ibn Tufail's work,  Philosophus Autodidactus, first appeared in 1671, prepared by  Edward Pococke   the Younger, followed by an English translation by  Simon Ockley  in 1708, as well as  German  and  Dutch  translations. These translations later inspired  Daniel Defoe  to write  Robinson Crusoe, regarded as the  first novel in English. 20][21][22][23]  Philosophus Autodidactus  also inspired  Robert Boyle  to write his own philosophical novel set on an island,  The Aspiring Naturalist. [24]  The story also anticipatedRousseau's  Emile: or, On Education  in some ways, and is also similar to  Mowgli's story in  Rudyard Kipling's  The Jungle Book  as well as  Tarzan's story, in that a baby is abandoned but taken care of and fed by a mother  wolf. [citation needed] Among other innovations in Arabic literature was  Ibn Khaldun's perspective on chronicling past events—by fully rejecting supernatural explanations, Khaldun essentially invented the scientific or sociological approach to history. citation needed] Islam [100 A. D. to 1 500] 1. God's revelations were first received around 610 by the prophet Muhammad, whose followers later collected them into the Koran, which became the basis for a new religion and community known today as Islam. 2. Though most of the pre-Islamic literature of Arabia was written in verse, prose became a popular vehicle for the dissemination of religious learning. 3. As its title â€Å"the Recitation† suggests, the Koran was made to be heard and recited; because it is literally the word of God, Muslims do not accept the Koran in translation from Arabic. . Although Persian literature borrowed from Arabic literary styles, it also created and enhanced new poetic styles, including the  ruba'i  (quatrain),  ghazal  (erotic lyric), and  masnavi  (narrative poem). 5. More widely known than any other work in Arabic, the  Thousand and One Nights  is generally excluded from the canon of classical Arabic literature due to its extravagant and improbable fabrications in pro se, a form that was expected to be more serious and substantial than verse. Thousand and One Nights Myths and Legends of the World |  2001 |  Copyright Thousand and One NightsThousand and One Nights,  also called  The Arabian Nights' Entertainment  or simply  The Arabian Nights,  is a sprawling, centuries-old collection of tales. In the English-speaking world, it is the best-known work of Arabic stories. The framework of the collection is that a king named Shahriyar, distrustful of women, had the habit of taking a new wife every night and killing her the next day. A resourceful young woman named Shahrazad had a plan to end the deadly tradition. After marrying the king, she told him a story on their wedding night with the promise to finish it the next day. He let her live, and she repeated the trick.So captivating were her stories that Shahriyar spared her life again and again in order to hear the rest of the narrative. The origins of  Thousand and One Nights  are u nknown. The oldest bit of Arabic text dates from the 800s; the first lengthy text was written in the 1400s. None of the early Arabic-language texts contains exactly the same stories. Scholars have identified Persian, Baghdadian, and Egyptian elements in the work, which seems to have developed over the years as an ever-changing collection of fairy tales, romances, fables, poems, legends about heroes, and humorous stories.The stories that are best known in the English-speaking world—those of Sinbad the Sailor, Aladdin and his Magic Lamp, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves—do not appear in all editions of  Thousand and One Nights. Thousand and One Nights The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed. |  2012 |  Copyright Thousand and One Nights or Arabian Nights, series of anonymous stories in Arabic, considered as an entity to be among the classics of world literature. The cohesive plot device concerns the efforts of Scheherezade, or Sheherazade, to keep her husband, King Shah ryar (or Schriyar), from killing her by entertaining him with a tale a night for 1,001 nights.The best known of these stories are those of Ali Baba, Sinbad the Sailor, and Aladdin. Although many of the stories are set in India, their origins are unknown and have been the subject of intensive scholarly investigation. The corpus began to be collected about the year 1000. At first the title was merely indicative of a large number of stories; later editors dutifully provided editions with the requisite 1,001 tales. The present form of  Thousand and One Nights  is thought to be native to Persia or one of the Arabic-speaking countries, but includes stories from a number of different countries and no doubt reflects diverse source material.The first European edition was a free translation by Abbe Antoine Galland into French (1704–17). Most subsequent French, German, and English versions lean heavily upon Galland. Among the English translations include the expurgated edition of E. W. Lane (1840), with excellent and copious notes; the unexpurgated edition by Sir Richard Burton in 16 volumes (1885–88); that of John Payne in 9 volumes (1882–84); Powys Mathers's translation from the French text of J. C. Mardrus (rev. ed. , 4 vol. , 1937); and that of Husain Haddawy (2 vol. , 1990, 1995).Note: This file is also available as a  Word document. Acknowledgements: Al-Muntazir Madrasah, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. IMPORTANCE OF THE HOLY QUR’AAN The first lesson to be learned by all students is about the importance of the Holy Qur’aan. The Qur’aan is the Book of Allah  subhaanahu wa ta‘aalaa. Every word in the Qur’aan has come from Allah. That is why we say that it is a Holy Book. The words in the Qur’aan were sent by Allah to Prophet Muhammad  sallal-laahu ‘alayhi wa-aalihi wa sallam. The Prophet (s) received the words of Allah through angel Jibra’eel.This Qur’aan is a Holy Book t hat was not written by anyone but sent by Allah to Prophet Muhammad (s) through Jibra’eel. 1. It is the most truthful speech: Prophet Muhammad (s) regularly read the words of Allah to Muslims around him. These Muslims were very pleased and excited to receive the words of Allah. Prophet Muhammad (s) said:  The most truthful speech, the most eloquent advice, and the greatest stories are in the Book of Allah. The Muslims listened carefully to what the Prophet read, memorized the sentences and passages of the Qur’aan, recited them regularly and followed the teachings of the Qur’aan.In order to preserve the words of Allah the Prophet appointed special people known as â€Å"Scribes of the Qur’aan† to write down the words of Allah. 2. It is in original language: Prophet Muhammad (s) was an Arab and the majority of people in Mecca and Medina spoke Arabic. Therefore the Qur’aan was sent in Arabic. Arabic is written from right to left. It is better to learn to read the Qur’aan in its original language. Therefore, we will put efforts to learn Qur’aan written in Arabic instead of simply reading its translation in other languages. . The Holy Qur’aan contains Allah’s message to all people. It tells people how to act correctly. It guides us to a correct way of life in this world. The Book of Allah also talks about life after death. It tells us that Allah has prepared Paradise for good people and Hell for bad people. The Qur’aan encourages the worship of only one God Who creates and provides for them. The Book forbids people from evil and condemns those who do wrong. It contains stories of the past Prophets and the examples of bad and good people.People are advised in the Qur’aan to be good to others and respect them. It teaches people to live in peace and harmony. 4. Qur’aan brings happiness in this world and the Hereafter. Following the Qur’aan brings happiness in this world and the world after death. The Prophet (s) said:If you desire the life of the fortunate, the death of a martyr, the salvation on the Day of Regret and the shade on the Day of Extreme Heat, then you should study the Qur’aan because it is the word of the Merciful, a sanctuary from Shaytaan and a causes the tilting of the Balance.In another Hadith we read that the Prophet (s) has said:  The recitor of the Qur’an will be spared from the calamities of the Hereafter. 5. It is the only Divine book that has remained unchanged. Allah sent the Qur’aan to His Prophet. A book sent by Allah to people is known as a Divine Book or a Heavenly Book. Other Divine Books were also sent to previous prophets. These are: Suhoof to Prophet Ibraheem  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœalayhis salaam; Zaboor to Prophet Dawood  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœalayhis salaam;  Tawraah to Prophet Moosaa  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœalayhis salaam; and  Injeel to Prophet ‘Eisaa  Ã¢â‚¬Ëœalayhis salaam.The difference between the Qur’aan an d past revealed books is that the Qur’aan is the only Divine Book that has remained unaltered. The Qur’aan we have with us contains exactly the same message that was sent to Prophet Muhammad by Allah through Jibra’eel. 6. Our supplications get answered  if we were to pray after reading the Holy Qur’aan. The Prophet (s) said:  One who starts the Qur’an and finishes it, Allah will grant him one answered supplication. It also helps in strengthening our faith. Imam Ali (a) said:  Ã‚  Reciting the Qur’an plants the eed of faith. 7. The Qur’aan is the best companion. It can be of great help when a child or adult is feeling lonely. Imam Ali Zaynul ‘Aabideen (a) said:  If all who live between the East and West perish, I will have no fear as long as I have the Qur’an with me. 8. Students get wise  when they start reading the Qur’aan in their childhood. Prophet Muhammad (s) said:  Whoever reads the Qur’an before becoming Baaligh, has indeed been given wisdom as a child. The Holy Book is the best intellectual treasure a student can have.Prophet Muhammad (s) said:  The Qur’an is a wealth with which there is no poverty, and without which there is no wealth. On the other hand not caring to read and study the Qur’aan is a great loss. Prophet Muhammad (s) said:  Surely the person in whose heart lacks the trace of the Qur’an is like a ruined house. 9. Muslims read the Qur’aan to understand the true teachings of Islam. Prophet Muhammad (s) left the Holy Book and the Ahlul Bayt (a) as the most important legacy for Muslims after him. He said:  I leave tow weighty things among you: The Book of Allah and my family – the Ahlul Bayt.Indeed these two will never separate until they reach me near the pool of Kawthar. 10. All Muslims recite some Soorahs in their prayers. However, it is good to memorize more Soorahs and read them in Salaat. Imam Muhammad Al-Baaq ir (a) said:  Whoever recites the Qur’aan while standing in his prayer, Allah will bestow on him a hundred blessings for every letter; and whoever recites it while sitting in his prayer, Allah will reward him fifty blessings for every letter; and whoever recites it outside of his prayer, Allah will grant him ten blessings for every letter. 1. The Qur’aan is a cure to mental and spiritual diseases: Imam Hasan al-‘Askaree (a) said:  The Messenger of Allah (s) said: I advice you to the Qur’aan since it is the beneficial cure, the blessed medicine, the protection (‘Isma) for he who holds fast to it, and the salvation for he who follows it. Neither does it cause crookedness so that it departs (from the truth) nor does it deviate so that it causes trouble. Its marvels do not come to end and the vastness of refutations does not wear it. RESPECT AND RIGHTS OF THE HOLY QUR’AANNow that we know that the Holy Qur’aan is not an ordinary book, bu t a Divine Book sent by Allah for the guidance of all people, we must show respect to it. Here are some of the points we need to remember. 1. A part of the Qur’aan carries the same respect as the entire Qur’aan. Allah says:  When the Qur’aan is recited, listen to  it (7:204). We know that when recitation takes place it is always of a part of the Qur’aan. Even then Allah uses the word Qur’aan for the part that is being recited. Therefore, if you have a Siparah, a binder or a booklet that contains Soorahs and passages from the Qur’aan, you treat it like a Qur’aan. . The Qur’aan should always be carried with proper care. When your Madrasah bag contains the Qur’aan, or a part of it, take extra care of the bag. Keep the bag slowly on the desk or floor instead of letting it fall on its own. Use both hands to remove the Qur’aan from your bag, kiss the cover of the Qur’aan, place it slowly on a desk (or on a wo oden carrier specially built for holding the Qur’aan) and open the pages gently. 3. When the Qur’aan is being recited, listen to it and be attentive (7:204). If you are busy with something else then at least do not disturb the recitation by talking, for example, or making noise.There is reward for listening to the Qur’aan. Imam Ali Zaynul ‘Aabideen (a) said:  Whoever listens to a letter of the book of Allah, the Glorious and Almighty, without even reading it, Allah will write down for him one good deed, forgive a sin, and raise him a degree. It was the practice of unbelievers in Mecca to make a lot of noise so that others could not listen to the Qur’aan (41:26). Do not be like them and instead lend your ears to the Qur’aan and give it respect. We often wish that God would talk to us. One way to achieve this is by reading the Qur’aan. Prophet Muhammad (s): said:  Lo!Whoever has longing for Allah should listen to the word of Allah! A lso, if you wish to talk to God then do Tilaawa. Prophet Muhammad (s) said:  Whenever one of you would like to talk to his Lord, he should read the Qur’an. 4. The Qur’aan should be recited regularly. It is disrespect to keep the Holy Qur’aan unread. Prophet Muhammad (s) said:  Brighten your homes with reciting Qur’aan; do not turn them into graves. Surely the house in which a lot of recitation takes place enjoys many blessings and the members benefit from it. Such a household shines for the inhabitants of Heaven as stars shine to the inhabitants of the earth.On the Day of Judgment the Prophet will complain to Allah about some Muslims who had abandoned the Qur’aan (25:30). Another Hadith of the Prophet (s) says:  Indeed hearts rust in the same way irons rust. He was asked: â€Å"What will polish the hearts? † The Prophet answered:  Reading the Qur’an. The more Qur’aan we read the better it is. We should discipline oursel ves to read a good portion of Qur’aan daily. Imam Ali (a) said:  He who recites 100 verses daily from the Book in the order it is in, Allah writes for him the reward equal to all the good actions of every one on this earth.Shaytaan would like us not to read, understand and study the Qur’aan. Let us fight him with all our strength and faith. Imam Ja‘far As-Saadiq (a) said:  Ã‚  There is nothing more unpleasant to Shaytaan than to see a man reading the Qur’an to gain insight. 5. Children should get familiarized with the Qur’aan early in their lives. Imam as-Saadiq (AS) said:  He who recites Qur’aan while he is young, Qur’aan mixes with his flesh and his blood, and Allah places him amongst the blessed and the chosen righteous. On the Day of Judgment, Qur’aan shall become his defender and  [pray for him a handsome reward. 6. It is the right and respect of the Qur’aan that it should be followed. Imam Ja‘far Saadi q (a) said:  Ã‚  Lo! One, who learns the Qur’aan, teaches it and practices according to it, I will guide and lead him to Paradise. 7. It is also the right and respect of the Qur’aan that those who have the knowledge of the Qur’aan should teach it to others. This is among the noblest acts. Prophet Muhammad (s) said:  The best of you is he who learns the Qur’an and teaches it. 8. Take the interpretations of the Qur’aan from the Holy Prophet (s) and the Imams from his family, i. e. the Ahlul Bayt (a).Imam Hasan al-‘Askaree quoting Prophet Muhammad said:  Recite it (i. e. the Qur’aan) as Allah gives you ten rewards for each letter that you recite from it. Then the Imam (a) said:  Do you know who really holds fast to it and reaches to such honor and reward? He is the person who takes Qur’aan and its interpretation from us Ahlul-Bayt (a) or from the deputies that we send to our followers, and takes its (interpretation) neither from the opinions of those who argue (on the speech of Allah) nor form the analogy  of  those who compare (different parts of the speech of Allah). . Once you have completed reading your lesson or referring to the Qur’aan then close it gently instead of leaving it open. 2. Do not put another book or any weight above the Qur’aan. The Holy Book should always be kept on the top in a pile of books. 3. It is Haraam (forbidden) to make Najaasaat (impure things like blood and urine) touch the Qur’aan. In the event where the Qur’aan becomes Najis, for instance if it falls in Najis water, it is Waajib (obligatory) to purify it (make it Taahir). 4. Old and worn out copies of the Qur’aan should be disposed in safe places.This includes sending them for recycling, burying them in the earth or casting in rivers. *  Ã‚  *  Ã‚  *  Ã‚  * * MANNERS OF RECITING THE HOLY QUR’AAN By now we know that the Qur’aan is a special book and deserves re spect. Now let us look at some of the manners of reciting the Qur’aan. It is the right of the Tilaawa (recitation of the Qur’aan) that we follow the rules when reciting the Qur’aan. 1. Perform Wudhoo before you prepare to read the Qur’aan. Allah says:  None can touch it (the Qur’aan) save the purified ones  (56:79). Once Imam Ja‘far As-Saadiq (a) asked his son Ismaa‘eel to read the Qur’aan. The latter said that he was not in Wudhoo.The Imam said in that case he could recite it but should not touch the writings of the Qur’aan. Therefore, it is advisable to  use a stick or pen to point to the words  or sentences of the Qur’aan you are reading if you are not in Wudhoo. 2. Read Du‘aa before Tilaawa. Reading of the Du‘aa helps to keep our focus and reminds us of what we need to take from the Holy Book. Ma‘soomeen (a) have recommended a number of Du‘aas. The Du‘aa taught by Imam Jaâ⠂¬Ëœfar As-Saadiq (a) appears in this booklet with Qur’aan lessons. 3. Always say  A‘oodhubillaahi minash shaytaanir rajeem  ( ) when you begin reading the Qur’aan. It means: I seek refuge in Allah from the cursed Shaytaan. This is what Allah instructs us to do in Aayah 16:98. 4. Next say  Bismillaahir rahmaanir raheem  ( )  The meaning of this phrase is: In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Whenever Imam Moosaa Al-Kaazim (a) wished to make a point to Haroon Rasheed using Aayaat from the Qur’aan, the Imam would begin with  A‘oodhubillaah . . . followed by  Bismillaah . . . 5. Sit facing Qiblaah when reciting the Qur’aan. Please note that this is the best direction to face.However where it may be difficult or impossible to face Qiblaah when reading the Qur’aan (for example if your desk is facing another direction) then it is all right not to face the Qiblaah. 6. Recite the Qur’aan with Tarteel  as instructed by Allah in Aayah 73:4. This means that we should recite the Qur’aan in a good voice with rhythm instead of plain reading. 7. Recite the Qur’aan slowly  Allah said to the Prophet  do not move your tongue with it (Qur’aan) to make haste therein  (75:16). The aayaat of the Qur’aan should be recited in slow tones with each word being pronounced clearly.The Prophet (s) advised Muslims not be concerned about finishing a Soorah when reciting the Qur’aan. 8. Be Humble when reciting the Qur’aan. The Prophet (s) says that the best recitor is he who is humble when reciting the Qur’aan and realizes his own insignificance. Some people exhibit their insignificance and the awe of talking to Allah through weeping. This is a good sign. Prophet Muhammad (s) said:Eyes that weep when reciting the Qur’an will be shining with delight on the Day of Resurrection. 9. Try to understand the recitation. Holy Qur’aan is a book of Guidance (2:2).It is necessary for us to understand the message Allah sent all people through Prophet Muhammad (s). 10. Read from the Qur’aan by looking at the writings instead of reciting from your memory. In a Hadith from one of our Imams it is said that mere looking at the writings of the Qur’aan carries reward. 11. Interact with the Qur’aan. Imam Ja‘far As-Saadiq (a) says that it is important to react to the aayaat of the Qur’aan when reciting it. When we come across aayaat on Paradise, Mercy and Grace of Allah, Good Outcome in the hereafter, we should hope for these in our hearts.On the other hand if we are reading aayaat that warn us about the punishment, fire, Hell, etc. we should pray to be saved from these. 12. Open your heart and mind to the Qur’aan and ponder over what you read. Allah often invites us to think and ponder over the contents of the Qur’aan. In 47:24 Allah says:  Do they not then think deeply in the Qurâ⠂¬â„¢aan, or are their hearts locked up? 13. Perform Sajdah where required to do so  In the entire Qur’aan there are 15 places where performing of Sajdah is required. At 4 places it is Waajib (obligatory) to do Sajdah if we were to read or listen to these sections of the Qur’aan.For the rest of the places it is Mustahab (recommended) to do Sajdah. 14. Say  Sadqallaahul ‘Aliyyul ‘Azeem  ( ) every time you end a recitation of the Qur’aan. The meaning of this phrase is: Allah, the Sublime, the Great, is truthful in what He has said 15. Read one of the Du‘aas after Tilaawa. The Ma‘soomeen have taught a number of Du‘aas, from these two have been included with Qur’aan lessons. In these Du‘aas, amongst other things, we pray to the Almighty to enlighten us through the Qur’aan and make us follow the teachings of the Qur’aan. THE HOLY QURAN: Islam appeared in the form of a book: the Quran.Muslims, consider the Quran (sometimes spelled â€Å"Koran†) to be the Word of God as transmitted by the Angel Gabriel, in the Arabic language, through the Prophet Muhammad. The Muslim view, moreover, is that the Quran supersedes earlier revelations; it is regarded as their summation and completion. It is the final revelation, as Muhammad is regarded as the final prophet – ‘the Seal of the Prophets. † In a very real sense the Quran is the mentor of millions of Muslims, Arab and non-Arab alike; it shapes their everyday life, anchors them to a unique system of law, and inspires them by its guiding principles.Written in noble language, this Holy Text has done more than move multitudes to tears and ecstasy; it has also, for almost fourteen hundred years, illuminated the lives of Muslims with its eloquent message of uncompromising monotheism, human dignity, righteous living, individual responsibility, and social justice. For countless millions, consequently, it has been the singl e most important force in guiding their religious, social, and cultural lives. Indeed, the Quran is the cornerstone on which the edifice of Islamic civilization has been built.The text of the Quran was delivered orally by the Prophet Muhammad to his followers as it was revealed to him. The first verses were revealed to him in or about 610, and the last revelation dates from the last year of his life, 632. His followers at first committed the Quran to memory and then, as instructed by him, to writing. Although the entire contents of the Quran, the placement of its verses, and the arrangement of its chapters date back to the Prophet, as long as he lived he continued to receive revelations.Consequently, the Holy Text could only be collected as a single corpus – â€Å"between the two covers† – after the death of Muhammad. This is exactly what happened. After the battle of al-Yamamah in 633, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, later to become the second caliph, suggested to Abu Bakr, the first caliph, that because of the grievous loss of life in that battle, there was a very real danger of losing the Quran, enshrined as it was in the memories of the faithful and in uncollated fragments.Abu Bakr recognized the danger and entrusted the task of gathering the revelations to Zayd ibn Thabit, who as the chief scribe of the Prophet was the person to whom Muhammad frequently dictated the revelations in his lifetime. With great difficulty, the task was carried out and the first complete manuscript compiled from â€Å"bits of parchment, thin white stones – ostracae – leafless palm branches, and the memories of men. Later, during the time of ‘Uthman, the third caliph, a final, authorized text was prepared and completed in 651, and this has remained the text in use ever since. The contents of the Quran differ in substance and arrangement from the Old and New Testaments. Instead of presenting a straight historical narrative, as do the Gospels a nd the historical books of the Old Testament, the Quran treats, in allusive style, spiritual and practical as well as historical matters.The Quran is divided into 114 surahs, or chapters, and the surahs are conventionally assigned to two broad categories: those revealed at Mecca and those revealed at Medina. The surahs revealed at Mecca – at the beginning of Muhammad's mission – tend to be short and to stress, in highly moving language, the eternal themes of the unity of God, the necessity of faith, the punishment of those who stray from the right path, and the Last Judgment, when all man's actions and beliefs will be judged.The surahs revealed at Medina are longer, often deal in detail with specific legal, social, or political situations, and sometimes can only be properly understood with a full knowledge of the circumstances in which they were revealed All the surahs are divided into ayahs or verses and, for purposes of pedagogy and recitation, the Quran as a whole i s divided into thirty parts, which in turn are divided into short divisions of nearly equal length, to facilitate study and memorization. The surahs hemselves are of varying length, ranging from the longest, Surah 2, with 282 verses, to the shortest, Surahs 103, 108, and 110, each of which has only three. With some exceptions the surahs are arranged in the Quran in descending order of length, with the longest at the beginning and the shortest at the end. The major exception to this arrangement is the opening surah, â€Å"al-Fatihah,† which contains seven verses and which serves as an introduction to the entire revelation: In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. Praise be to God, Lord of the Worlds;The Merciful, the Compassionate; Master of the Day of Judgment; Thee only do we worship, and Thee alone we ask for help. Guide us in the straight path, The path of those whom Thou hast favored; not the path of those who earn Thine anger nor of those who go astray. Non-M uslims are often struck by the range of styles found in the Quran. Passages of impassioned beauty are no less common than vigorous narratives. The sublime â€Å"Verse of the Throne† is perhaps one of the most famous: God – There is no god but He,   The Living. the Everlasting;Slumber seizes Him not, neither sleep; To Him belongs all that is In the heavens and the earth; Who is there that can intercede with Him Save by His leave? He knows what lies before them And what is after them, Nor do they encompass anything of His knowledge Except such as He wills; His Throne extends over the heavens and earth; The preserving of them wearies Him not; He is the Most High, the All-Glorious. Muslims regard the Quran as untranslatable; the language in which it was revealed – Arabic – is inseparable from its message and Muslims everywhere, o matter what their native tongue, must learn Arabic to read the Sacred Book and to perform their worship. The Quran of course is a vailable in many languages, but these versions are regarded as interpretations rather than translations – partly because the Arabic language, extraordinarily concise and allusive, is impossible to translate in a mechanical, word-for-word way. The inimitability of the Quran has crystallized in the Muslim view of i'jaz or â€Å"impossibility,† which holds that the style of the Quran, being divine, cannot be imitated: any attempt to do so is doomed to failure.It must also be remembered that the Quran was originally transmitted orally to the faithful and that the Holy Text is not meant to be read only in silence. From the earliest days it has always been recited aloud or, more accurately, chanted. As a result, several traditional means of chanting, or intoning, the Quran were found side by side. These methods carefully preserved the elaborate science of reciting the Quran – with all its intonations and its cadence and punctuation.As the exact pronunciation was impor tant – and learning it took years – special schools were founded to be sure that no error would creep in as the traditional chanting methods were handed down. It is largely owing to the existence of these traditional methods of recitation that the text of the Quran was preserved without error. As the script in which the Quran was first written down indicated only the consonantal skeleton of the words, oral recitation was an essential element in the transmission of the text.Because the circumstances of each revelation were thought necessary to correct interpretation, the community, early in the history of Islam, concluded that it was imperative to gather as many traditions as possible about the life and actions of the Prophet so that the Quran might be more fully understood. These traditions not only provided the historical context for many of the surahs – thus contributing to their more exact explication – but also contained a wide variety of subsidiary i nformation on the practice, life, and legal rulings of the Prophet and his companions.This material became the basis for what is called the sunnah, or â€Å"practice† of the Prophet – the deeds, utterances, and taqrir (unspoken approval) of Muhammad. Together with the Quran, the sunnah, as embodied in the canonical collections of traditions, the hadith, became the basis for the shari'ah, the sacred law of Islam. Unlike Western legal systems, the shari'ah makes no distinction between religious and civil matters; it is the codification of God's Law, and it concerns itself with every aspect of social, political, economic, and religious life.Islamic law is thus different from any other legal system; it differs from canon law in that it is not administered by a church hierarchy; in Islam there is nothing that corresponds to a â€Å"church† in the Christian sense. Instead, there is the ummah – the community of the believers – whose cohesion is guaranteed by the sacred law. Every action of the pious Muslim, therefore, is determined by the Quran, by precedents set by the Prophet, and by the practice of the early community of Islam as enshrined in the shari'ah.No description, however, can fully capture the overwhelming importance of the Quran to Muslims. Objectively, it is the central fact of the Islamic faith, the Word of God, the final and complete revelation, the foundation and framework of Islamic law, and the source of Islamic thought, language, and action. It is the essence of Islam. Yet it is, in the deeply personal terms of a Muslim, something more as well. In innumerable, almost indescribable ways, it is also the central fact of Muslim life.To a degree almost incomprehensible in the West it shapes and colors broadly, specifically, and totally the thoughts, emotions, and values of the devout Muslim's life from birth to death. ARABIC LITERATURE: The Quran, the primary document of the Islamic faith, is the first Arabic book. Its style, at once vigorous, allusive, and concise, deeply influenced later compositions in Arabic, as it continues to color the mode of expression of native speakers of Arabic, Christian as well as Muslim, both in writing and in conversation. The Quran also largely determined the course of Arabic literature.The earliest Arabic prose came into being not from literary motives, but to serve religious and practical needs, above all the need to fully understand the Islamic revelation and the circumstances of the first Muslim community in the Hijaz. The sayings and actions of the Prophet and his Companions were collected and preserved, at first by memory and then by writing, to be finally collected and arranged by such men as al-Bukhari and Muslim in the ninth century. This material, the hadith, not only provided the basic texts from which Islamic law was elaborated, but also formed the raw material for historians of the early Muslim community.Since each hadith, or â€Å"saying,† is a first-person narrative, usually by an eyewitness of the event described, they have an immediacy and freshness that has come down unimpaired through the centuries. The personalities of the narrators – Abu Bakr, Umar, Aishah, and a host of others are just as vivid as the events described, for the style of each hadith is very personal. The hadith also determined the characteristic form of such works as Ibn Ishaq's Life of the Messenger of God, originally written in the middle of the eighth century.In this book, hadith dealing with the life of the Prophet are arranged in chronological order, and the comments of the author are kept to a minimum. Events are seen through the eyes of the people who witnessed them; three or four versions of the same event are often given, and in each case the â€Å"chain of transmission† of the hadith is given, so that the reader may judge its authenticity. During Umayyad times, a number of historians wrote monographs on specific historical, legal, and religious questions, and in each case these authors seem to have adhered to the hadith method of composition.Although few of the works of these writers have survived in their entirety, enough has been preserved by later incorporation in such vast works as the Annals of al-Tabari to give us an idea not only of their method of composition, but also of their wide-ranging interests. The practice of prefacing a chain of authorities to each hadith led to the compilation of vast biographical dictionaries, like the Book of Classes of the early ninth century author Ibn Said, which includes a biography of the Prophet and a great deal of information on notable personalities in Mecca and Medina during his lifetime.Works such as this allowed readers to identify and judge the veracity of transmitters of hadith; later, the content of biographical dictionaries was broadened to include poets, writers, eminent reciters of the Quran, scientists, and the like. These biographical dictionaries are often lively reading, and are a mine of information about social and political circumstances in the Islamic world. The spread of Islam naturally found chroniclers, such as al-Waqidi, who wrote in the late eighth and early ninth centuries, and al-Baladhuri, who composed his well known Book of the Conquests in the ninth century.These books, like the hadith, were written for practical motives. Al-Waqidi was interested in establishing the exact chronology of the spread of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula and adjoining areas, while al-Baladhuri was interested in legal and tax problems connected with the settlement of new lands. Their books nevertheless are classics of their kind and, aside from containing much interesting information, they have passages of great descriptive power.By the ninth century, the method of compiling history from hadith and carefully citing the authorities for each tradition – a process which had resulted in books of unwieldy length – was abandon ed by some authors, like al-Dinawari and al-Ya'qubi, who omitted the chains of transmitters and combined hadith to produce a narrative. The result was greater readability and smaller compass, at the sacrifice of richness and complexity. The works of al-Dinawari and al-Ya'qubi, unlike those of their predecessors, aimed to entertain as well as instruct; they are â€Å"literary† productions.This form of light history reached its apogee in the tenth century in al-Mas'udi's brilliant and entertaining Meadows of Gold and Mines of Gems, a comprehensive encyclopedia of history, geography, and literature. The literary productions of these men would not, however, have been possible without the careful collections of historical hadith made by their predecessors. Just as the writing of history began from practical rather than literary motives, so the collection and preservation of Arabic poetry was undertaken by scholars with, at first, little interest in its artistic merit.The linguists and exegetes of Kufa and Basra began collecting this poetry in the eighth century because of the light it threw on unusual expressions and grammatical structures in the Quran and the hadith. Editions and commentaries were prepared of the poems of ‘Antarah, Imru al-Qays, and many others, and thus the works of the early poets were preserved for later generations. The Quran a part, poetry has always been considered the highest expression of literary art among the Arabs. Long before the coming of Islam, Bedouin poets had perfected the forms of panegyric, satire, and elegy.Their poetry obeys strict conventions, both in form and content, which indicates that it must have had a long period of development before it was finally committed to writing by scholars. The principal form used by the desert poets was the qasidah or ode, a poem of variable length rhyming in the last syllable of each line. The qasidah begins with a description of the abandoned encampment of the poet's beloved an d goes on to an account of his anguish at her absence and his consuming love for her. The poet then describes an arduous journey across the desert nd ends the qasidah with an appeal to the generosity of his host. Although the subject matter is almost invariable, the language is very complex and of great precision. In the Hijaz during the first century of Islam, contemporary with the first hadith scholars, a group of poets broke with the past and introduced new forms and subjects. Men like ‘Umar ibn Abi Rabi'ah wrote realistic and urbane verse, and a school of poetry which expressed the themes of Platonic love grew up around the poet Jamil ibn Muiammar, better known as Jamil al-‘Udhri.The lives and works of these poets of the Umayyad period are preserved in the entertaining tenth-century anthology by Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani, the Book of Songs. The Umayyad court in Damascus patronized poets and musicians. It was also the scene of the development of the type of Arabic lite rature called adab. Adab is usually translated as â€Å"belles-lettres,† which is slightly misleading. This literature, at least in its inception, was created to serve the practical end of educating the growing class of government ministers in the Arabic language, manners and deportment, history, and statecraft.Works in Sanskrit, Pahlavi, Greek, and Syriac began to find their way into Arabic at this time. ‘Abd al-Hamid ibn Yahya al-Katib, an Umayyad official, and the creator of this genre, defined its aims as follows: â€Å"Cultivate the Arabic language so that you may speak correctly; develop a handsome script which will add luster to your writings; learn the poetry of the Arabs by heart; familiarize yourself with unusual ideas and expressions; read the history of the Arabs and the Persians, and remember their great deeds. ‘Abd Allah ibn al-Muqaffa', a contemporary of ‘Abd al-Ham id ibn Yahya, translated the history of the ancient kings of Persia into Arab ic, as well as Kalilah wa-Dimnah, an Indian book of advice for princes cast in the form of animal fables. His works are the earliest surviving examples of Arabic art prose and are still used as models in schools throughout the Middle East. By the ninth century, Arabic literature had entered its classical age. The various genres had been defined – adab, history, Quranic exegesis, geography, biography, poetry, satire, and many more.Al-Jahiz was perhaps the greatest stylist of the age, and one of the most original personalities. He wrote more than two hundred books, on every conceivable subject; he was critical, rational, and always amusing. His Book of Animals is the earliest Arabic treatise on zoology and contains very modern-sounding discussions of such things as animal mimetism and biological adaptation. He wrote one of the earliest and best treatises on rhetoric and a large number of amusing essays.By the time of his death at the age of ninety-six he had shown that Arabic p rose was capable of handling any subject with ease. The most gifted of al-Jahiz's contemporaries was probably Ibn Qutaybah, also a writer of encyclopedic learning and an excellent stylist. His Book of Knowledge, a history of the world beginning with the creation, is the earliest work of its kind and later had many imitators. The tenth century witnessed the creation of a new form in Arabic literature, the maqamat. This was the title of a work by al-Hamadhani, called Badi' al-Zaman, â€Å"The Wonder of the Age. His Maqamat (â€Å"Sessions†) is a series of episodes written in rhymed prose concerning the life of Abu al-Fath al-Iskandari, a sort of confidence trickster, who takes on a different personality in each story and always succeeds in bilking his victims. These stories are witty and packed with action, and were immediately popular. Al-Hamadhani was imitated by al-Hariri a hundred years later. Al-Hariri was a linguistic virtuoso, and his Maqamat is filled with obscure word s, alliteration, puns, and wild metaphors.He too was extremely popular, and many learned commentaries were written on his Maqamat. This purely Arab form can most closely be compared with the Spanish picaresque novels, which it may have influenced. Rhymed prose, which had come to be used even in government documents, was employed by Abu al-‘Ala al-Ma'arri in his Message of Forgiveness, one of the best known of Arabic prose works. Al-Ma'arri lived in the eleventh century, leading an ascetic life in his native Syrian village. Blind from the age of four, he possessed a prodigious memory and great intellectual curiosity and skepticism.The Message of Forgiveness is cast in the form of a journey to paradise; the narrator there interrogates the scholars and poets of the past regarding their lives and works, receiving surprising and often ironic responses. The book is an extended critique of literature and philology, and represents a high point of classical Arabic culture. One of the o ther great figures of late classical literature was the poet al-Mutanabbi, whose skill in handling the complex meters of Arabic poetry was probably unsurpassed.His verbal brilliance has always been admired by Arab critics, although it is difficult for those whose native tongue is not Arabic to appreciate it fully. The period between the fall of Baghdad to the Mongols in 1258 and the nineteenth century is generally held to be a period of literary as well as political decline for the Arabs. It is true that during these five hundred years Arabic writers were more preoccupied with the preservation of their literary heritage than with the development of new forms and ideas.This is the age of encyclopedias, commentaries, and lexicons. Faced with the massive destruction of books by the invasions of Genghis Khan and Hulagu and later of Tamerlane, scholars compiled digests and abridgments of works that had survived in order to ensure their continued existence. There were also some original w orks, however. Ibn Battutah, the greatest traveler of the Middle Ages, lived in the fourteenth century, and his Travel provide a fascinating picture of the Muslim world, from the islands of the Indian Ocean to Timbuktu.Ibn Khaldun, like Ibn Battutah a native of North Africa, lived in the later fourteenth and early fifteenth centuries. His Prolegomena is a work of brilliance and originality; the author analyzes human society in terms of general sociological laws and gives a lucid account of the factors that contribute to the rise and decline of civilizations. Ibn Khaldun's style is innovative, simple, and very personal, and perfectly suited to the expression of his often difficult ideas.This post classical period also saw the composition of popular romances, such as the Romance of ‘Antar, based on the life of the famous pre-Islamic poet; the Romance of the Bani Hilal, a cycle of stories and poems based on the migration of an Arabian tribe to North Africa in the eleventh century ; and many more. These romances could be heard recited in coffee shops from Aleppoto Marrakesh until very recently. The most famous popular work of all, The Thousand and One Nights, assumed its present form during the fifteenth century.A revival of Arabic literature began in the nineteenth century, and coincided with the first efforts of Arabic speaking nations to assert their independence of Ottoman rule. Napoleon, during his brief occupation of Egypt in the late eighteenth century, introduced a printing press with fonts of Arabic type, and Muhammad ‘Ali, ruler of Egypt from 1805 to 1848, initiated a series of projects to modernize Egypt. He encouraged the use of Arabic in schools and government institutions, and established a printing press.Selected Egyptian students were sent to study in France, and on their return assigned to undertake translations of Western technical manuals on agriculture, engineering, mathematics, and military tactics. These works, together with many o f the classics of Arabic literature, were printed at the government press at Bulaq and had a profound impact on intellectuals in the Arab East. Another factor in the literary revival was the swift growth of journalism in Lebanon and Egypt. Starting in the late 1850s, newspapers were soon available through the Middle East.By 1900 well over a hundred and fifty newspapers and journals were being published. These journals had a great influence on the development and modernization of the written Arabic language; their stress on substance rather than style did much to simplify Arabic prose and bring it within the comprehension of everyone. One of the first leaders of the Arabic literary renaissance was the Lebanese writer and scholar Butrus al-Bustani, whose dictionary and encyclopedia awakened great interest in the problems of expressing modern Western ideas in the Arabic language.His nephew Sulayman translated Homer's Iliad into Arabic, thus making one of the first expressions of Wester n literature accessible to the Arabic-reading public. Other writers, such as the Egyptian Mustafa al-Manfaluti, adapted French romantic novels to the tastes of the Arab public, as well as writing elegant essays on a variety of themes. The historical novel, in the hands of Jurji Zaydan, proved immensely popular, perhaps because of the intense interest Arabs have always had in their past, and because of the novelty of a new form.But the first Arabic novel that can rank with European productions is Muhammad Husayn Haykal's Zaynab, set in Egypt and dealing with local problems. Perhaps the greatest figure in modern Arabic literature is Taha Husayn. Blind from an early age, Taha Husayn wrote movingly of his life and beloved Egypt in his autobiography, al-Ayyam, â€Å"The Days. † Taha Husayn was a graduate of both al-Azhar and the Sorbonne, and his voluminous writings on Arabic literature contributed a new critique of this vast subject.The novel was not the only new form introduced to the Arabic-reading public. The drama, first in the form of translations of Western work, then of original compositions, was pioneered by Ahmad Shawqi and came to maturity in the hands of Tawfiq al-Hakim. Tawfiq al-Hakim's long career and devotion to the theater did much to make this one of the liveliest arts of the Middle East. The history of modern Arabic poetry, with its many schools and contending styles, is almost impossible to summarize. Traditional forms and subjects were challenged by ‘Abbas Mahmud al-‘Aqqad,Mahmud Shukri, and Ibrahim al-Mazini, who strove to introduce nineteenth-century European themes and techniques into Arabic, not always with success. Lebanese poets were in the forefront of modernist verse, and one of them, Gibran Kahlil Gibran, proved very popular in the West. Poets are now experimenting with both old and new techniques, although discussions of form have given way to concern for content. The exodus of Palestinians from their native land ha s become a favorite theme, often movingly handled.In Saudi Arabia, it was not until well into the twentieth century that literary movements in neighboring lands made themselves felt. Poetry, of course, has been cultivated in Arabia since the pre-Islamic period, and it has lately been influenced by new forms and subjects. Hasan al-Qurashi, Tahir Zamakhshari, Hasan Faqi, and Mahrum (the pen name of Amir ‘Abd Allah al-Faysal) have won renown for their poetry throughout the Arab world. Hasan Faqi's poetry is introspective and philosophical, while the verse of the three others is lyrical and romantic.Ghazi al-Gosaibi is distinguished by a fresh, fecund imagination that expresses itself in both Arabic and English verse. Two novels by the late Hamid al-Damanhuri have been well received. They are Thaman al-Tadhiyah, â€Å"The Price of Sacrifice,† and Wa-Marrat al-Ayyam, â€Å"And the Days Went By. † With the rapid increase in education and communications, presses are now beginning to publish more and more works by writers, and it can certainly be expected that the great social changes that are taking place will eventually be reflected in equally far-reaching developments in the Arabic literature. Introduction â€Å"Read in the Name of your Lord†. [1] These were the first few words of the Qur'an revealed to the   Prophet Muhammad over 1400 years ago. Muhammad, who was known to have been in retreat and   meditation in a cave outside Mecca [2], had received the first few words of a book that would have a   tremendous impact on the world of Arabic literature. [3] Not being known to have composed any piece   of poetry and not having any special rhetorical gifts, [4] Muhammed had just received the beginning of a   book that would deal with matters of belief, legislation, international law, olitics, ritual, spirituality, and   economics [5] in an ‘entirely new literary form'. Armstrong states, â€Å"It is as though Muhammad had c reated an entirely new literary form†¦Without this experience of the   Koran, it is extremely unlikely that Islam would have taken root. † [6] This unique literary form was the cause of the dramatic intellectual revival of desert Arabs [7], and after   thirteen years of the first revelation, it became the only reference for a new state in Medina. [8] This new   form of speech, the Qur'an, became the sole source of the new civilisation's political, philosophical,   and spiritual outlook.It is well known amongst Muslim and Non-Muslim scholars that the Qur’anic discourse cannot be   described as any of the known forms of Arabic speech; namely Poetry and Prose. [9] Taha Husayn, [10] a prominent Egyptian Litterateur, during the course of a public lecture summarised   how the Qur’an achieves this unique form: â€Å"But you know that the Qur’an is not prose and that it is not verse either. It is rather Qur’an, and it cannot   be called by any other name but this. It is not verse, and that is clear; for it does not bind itself to the   bonds of verse.And it is not prose, for it is bound by bonds peculiar to itself, not found elsewhere;   some of the binds are related to the endings of its verses and some to that musical sound which is all   its own. It is therefore neither verse nor prose, but it is â€Å"a Book whose verses have been perfected the   expounded, from One Who is Wise, All-Aware. † We cannot therefore say its prose, and its text itself is   not verse. It has been one of a kind, and nothing like it has ever preceded or followed it. † [11] Any expression of the Arabic language falls into the literary forms of Prose and Poetry.There are other   ‘sub’ forms that fall into the above categories. Kahin, which is a form of rhymed prose, is one of these   ‘sub’ forms; but all literary forms can be described as prose and poetry. Poetry Arabic Poetry is a form of metrical speech with a rhyme. [12] The rhyme in Arabic poetry is achieved by   every line of the poem ending upon a specific letter. [13] The metrical aspect of Arabic poetry is due to   its rhythmical divisions, these divisions are called ‘al-Bihar’, literally meaning ‘The Seas’ in Arabic. This term has been used to describe the rhythmical divisions as a result of the way the poem moves   according to its rhythm.In Arabic poetry there are sixteen rhythmical patterns, which all of Arabic poetry adheres too or is   loosely based upon; 1. at-Tawil 2. al-Bassit 3. al-Wafir 4. al-Kamil 5. ar-Rajs 6. al-Khafif 7. al-Hazaj 8. al-Muttakarib 9. al-Munsarih 10. al-Muktatab 11. al-Muktadarak 12. al-Madid 13. al-Mujtath 14. al-Ramel 15. al-Khabab 16. as-Saria' Each one of the al-Bihar have a unique rhythmical division. [14] The al-Bihar were first codified in the   8th century by al-Khalil bin Ahmad and have changed little since. The al-Bihar are based o n the length   of syllables.A short syllable is a consonant followed by a short vowel. A long syllable is a vowelled   letter followed by either an unvowelled consonant or a long vowel. A nunation sign at the end of a word   also makes the final syllable long. In Arabic poetry each line is divided into two halves. Below are basic scansions of the metres commonly found in Arabic poetry, showing long (—) and   short (^) syllables. They represent pairs of half-lines and should be read from left to right. The patterns   are not rigidly followed: two short syllables may be substituted for a long one. Tawil — — | ^ — — | ^ — — | ^ — — | ^ — — | ^ — — | ^ — — | ^ — — | Kamil ^ ^ — ^ — | ^ ^ — ^ — | ^ ^ — ^ — | ^ ^ — ^ — | ^ ^ — ^ — | ^ ^ — ^ — | Wafir ^ — ^ ^ — | ^ à ¢â‚¬â€ ^ ^ — | ^ — — | ^ — ^ ^ — | ^ — ^ ^ — | ^ — — | Rajaz — — ^ — | — — ^ — | — — ^ — | — — ^ — | — — ^ — | — — ^ — | Hazaj ^ — — — | ^ — — — | ^ — — — | ^ — — — | Basit — — ^ — | — ^ — | — — ^ — | — ^ — | — — ^ — | — ^ — | — — ^ — | — ^ — | Khafif — ^ — — | — — ^ — | — ^ — — | — ^ — — | — — ^ — | — ^ — — | Sari' — — ^ — | — — ^ — | — ^ — | — — ^ — | — — ^ â₠¬â€ | — ^ — | [For more details on the al-Bihar please see  www. theinimitablequran. om/TheRhythmicalPatterns. html ] An example of an Arabic poem, is the ancient Arabian poem called ‘Abu-l-‘Ata of Sind’: Of thee did I dream, while spears between us were quivering And sooth, of our blood full drop had drunken the tawny shafts! I know not, by heaven I swear, and true is the word I say This pang, is it love sickness, or wrought by a spell from thee. If it be a spell, then grant me grace of my love-longing If other the sickness be, then none is the guilt of thine. [15] This poem, in the original Arabic, falls into the rhythmical pattern of Tawil, one of the al-Bihar shown   above. 16] A literary analysis on any Arabic Poem will conclude that it adheres too or is based upon   the rhythmical patterns. This is supported by Louis Cheikho who collected pre-Islamic and Islamic   poetry and concluded that all of the poems conformed and were based upon the al-Bihar. [17] Prose Arabic Prose can be called non-metrical speech, meaning it does not have a rhythmical pattern like   poetry mentioned above. Arabic prose can be further divided into two categories; Saj’ which is rhymed   prose and Mursal which is straight prose or what some may call ‘normal speech’. [18] An apt description of Saj’ is, in the words of Von Deffer: A literary form with some emphasis on rhythm and rhyme, but distinct from poetry. Saj’ is not really as   sophisticated as poetry, but has been employed by Arab poets, and is the best known of the pre- Islamic Arab prosodies. It is distinct from poetry in its lack of metre, i. e. it has not consistent rhythmical   pattern, and it shares with poetry the element of rhyme, though in many cases some what irregularly   employed. † [19] Mursal can be defined as a literary form that goes on and is not divided, but is continued straight   throughout without any divisions, either of rhyme or of anything else. 20] Mursal is meant as a way of   expression close to the everyday spoken language, examples can be seen in speeches and prayers   intended to encourage or motivate the masses. The Qur’ans Literary Form The Qur’anic discourse cannot be described as any of the known literary forms. The most predominant   opinion is that it doesn’t adhere to any of the rules known to poetry and prose. Another opinion is that   the Qur’an combines metrical and non-metrical composition to create its own literary form. Some   scholars disagree with the above opinions and claim that the Qur’an is a form of rhymed prose, saj’.This opinion has arisen mainly due to the similarities of pre-Islamic prose and early Meccan chapters   of the Qur’an. However, the scholars who carry this opinion do not contend that the Qur’an is unique by   its use of literary and stylistic elements that render it inimitable. This unique use of literary elements   has not been found in any Arabic Prose, past or present. Below is an explanation, with reference to the main opinions above, on how the Qur’an achieves its   unique inimitable form. Non-compliance to the Rules of Prose or PoetryThe Qur’anic literary form differs as it does not fit in to any of the literary categories explained above,   [21] it is not like the prose of Saj’ or Mursal and it doesn't fit into any of the al-Bihar. This can be seen by   the following example: Wad Duha wal laili idha saja Ma waddaka Rabbuka wa maa qala Wa lal akhiraatu khairul laka minal oola Wa la sawfa ya teeka Rabbuka fa tarda†¦ By the morning hours and by the night most still Your Lord has neither forsaken you nor hates you And indeed the hereafter is better for you than the present And verily your Lord will give you so that you shall be well pleased†¦ [22]The examination of the whole chapter with reference to the above lit erary forms indicates that it is not   Saj’ or Mursal as this verse has an internal rhythm, whereas Saj’ does not have a consistent rhythm   and Mursal has no rhythm or rhyme. Also it cannot be described as poetry; the totality of this chapter, or   any other chapter for that matter, does not adhere to any of the al-Bihar. Unique Fusion of Metrical and non-Metrical Speech Some parts of the Qur’an follow the rules of poetry, that is, some verses can be described as one of   the al-Bihar. 23] When the totality of a Qur’anic Chapter, that contains some these verses is analysed,   it is not possible to distinguish its literary form. â€Å"The Qur'an is not verse, but it is rhythmic. The rhythm of some verses resemble the regularity of saj’ †¦But it was recognized by Quraysh critics to belong to neither one nor the other category. † [24] The Qur’an achieves this unique literary form by intermingling metrical and non-Metrical speech in   such a way that the difference can not be perceived. [25] This intermingling of metrical and non- metrical composition is present throughout the whole of the Qur’an.The following examples illustrate   this, â€Å"But the righteous will be in Gardens with Springs – ‘Enter in Peace and Safety! ’ – and We shall   remove any bitterness from their hearts: [they will be like] brothers, sitting on couches, face to face. No   weariness will ever touch them there, nor will they ever be expelled. [Prophet] tell My servants that I am   the Forgiving, the Merciful, but My torment is the truly painful one. Tell them too about Abraham’s   guests: when they came to him and said â€Å"Peace,† he said, ‘We are afraid of you’† [26]When reading the original Arabic of the above verse the reader moves from metric composition to   prose with out experiencing the slightest change of style or mode. [27] The same mingling of metrical   and non-metrical composition