Tales From the Thousand and One Nights Penguin edition (3 volumes).
This is a 14–16 page research essay exploring a theme or topic which is featured in the primary source you studied. Aim: The point of this paper is not to present an opinion on, to editorialize, or to assess the value or the validity of Islamic traditions or Islam. This paper will trace the historical evolution of an Islamic tradition, belief, policy, tenet, or ritual, or some other aspect of Islamic culture, thought, and society and account for the changes it underwent in relation to its historical, social, cultural, theological and/or institutional contexts and/or how it is manifested or interpreted in different denominations or regional environments. You will show how this tradition has changed, or how its interpretation had varied, and propose why. The “why” will constitute the thesis of your essay. Essay cannot merely be descriptive (“what happened”) – you must attempt to account for “how things happened,” and “why things happened,” and discuss why this is important, interesting or relevant to the study of Islam, of Muslim societies and cultures, or of religion, society and culture in general. Sources: The bulk of your paper should be based on published scholarly or similar sources (scholarly books, journal articles, newspapers: “substantial sources”), occasional use of encyclopedias is acceptable (“supplementary sources”). Online sources, if they are dependable by scholarly standards, or if they are themselves primary sources, are acceptable (URLs to be cited in full; it is also recommended you save as a pdf any website you cite). You should read, use and cite no less than twelve “substantial sources,” and no more than a few “supplementary sources.” The sources in the bibliography must be used, it would be great if the writer read or had the book of Tales From the Thousand and One Nights Penguin edition (3 volumes)
Tales From the Thousand and One Nights Penguin edition (3 volumes)