- Cleveland, Ohio, United States
Abed el-Rahman Tayyara
Cleveland State University, Modern Languages, Faculty Member
-
Modern Languages, Islamic Studies, Biblical Studies, Quran and Tafsir Studies, Qur'anic and Hadith sciences, Persian Literature, and 18 moreSyriac and Greek Sources, Classical Arabic Poetry, Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language (TAFL), Classical Arabic Literature, Islamic Historiography, Early Islamic Historiography, Theology, Islam, Early Christianity, Religion, Philosophy Of Religion, Islamic Law, Islamic History, Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Hermeneutics, and Anthropology of Religion edit
-
I am a Professor of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at Cleveland State University. I earned my Ph.D. in Islamic Stu... moreI am a Professor of Arabic and Middle Eastern Studies at Cleveland State University. I earned my Ph.D. in Islamic Studies from New York University in 2005. My teaching and research interest include a wide range of areas, such as early Islamic historiography, Arabic language, comparative religions, and Byzantine history. Among my recent publications are:•“Ibn Ḥabīb’s Kitāb al-Muḥabbar and its Place in Early Islamic Historical Writing,” Journal of Islamic Studies, Volume 29, Issue 3, 1 September 2018, pp. 392–416.•“Arabic as a Cultural Signifier in Films,” in Through the Mirage: Moving Images and Arab Identities, Akkadia Press, 201, pp. 72-82.•“Muslim–Paulician Encounters and Early Islamic Anti-Christian Polemical Writings,” Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations, Vol. 27, Issue 4, 2016, pp. 471-489. edit
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Situated chronologically within the transition from Late Antiquity to Islam, the article echoes certain facets of the Byzantine-Islamic intellectual dialogues. Geographically, it reflects scholarly activities within the Antiochene sphere... more
Situated chronologically within the transition from Late Antiquity to Islam, the article echoes certain facets of the Byzantine-Islamic intellectual dialogues. Geographically, it reflects scholarly activities within the Antiochene sphere of influence. The essay particularly considers the extent to which John Malalas’ Chronographia impacted early Islamic representations of early Roman history in terms of materials, themes, and narrative arrangement. At the centre of this inquiry is the foundation narrative of the city of Rome and the story of Romulus and Remus. An emphasis is placed here on the crucial role that Melkite Arab-Christian historians played in the transmission of these narratives. Syriac intermediaries serve here as essential links in the path of transmission form Malalas to Islamic historical writings. The study, which is a comparative textual analysis of relevant accounts, illuminates certain facets of the Byzantine-Islamic intellectual encounters regarding the conveyan...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Cultural History, Communication, Education, Peace and Conflict Studies, Art, and 12 moreSociolinguistics, Arabic, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Discourse, Politics, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Heaven, International and Intercultural Communication, Alternative Dispute Resolution: Mediation and Arbitration, Critical and Cultural Studies, and Hollywood Films
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This collection of essays and conversations sheds light on and discusses how images in films and animation have influenced identity portrayals in the Arab context. Published to accompany the first exhibition at the new Media Majlis at... more
This collection of essays and conversations sheds light on and discusses how images in films and animation have influenced identity portrayals in the Arab context. Published to accompany the first exhibition at the new Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar, this beautifully crafted book discusses a spectrum of impressions and visual cues in film, both of and from the Arab world, that often unwittingly create distortions, in turn inspiring confidence or promoting stereotypes and even prejudices that have led to war or inter-regional conflicts of many kinds. - from publisher\u27s website
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This article investigates the historical writing of the historian al-Dīnawarī (d. 895) and his motives behind composing his universal history, al-Akhbār al-t·iwāl. The themes and narrative arrangements of this work give insight into... more
This article investigates the historical writing of the historian al-Dīnawarī (d. 895) and his motives behind composing his universal history, al-Akhbār al-t·iwāl. The themes and narrative arrangements of this work give insight into al-Dīnawarī’s historical agenda that demonstrates his interest in imperial histories that exemplify the rise and fall of nations, dynasties, and powerful
rulers. The emphasis he places on specific episodes and events aims to demonstrates that
only certain ethnic groups whose political legitimacy derives from a noble origin can bring about political and social stability. By dealing with these sociopolitical concerns, this article also sheds new light on the intellectual discourses and political crises that dominated Islamic society during the eighth and ninth centuries and the way al-Dīnawarī reacted to these challenges.
rulers. The emphasis he places on specific episodes and events aims to demonstrates that
only certain ethnic groups whose political legitimacy derives from a noble origin can bring about political and social stability. By dealing with these sociopolitical concerns, this article also sheds new light on the intellectual discourses and political crises that dominated Islamic society during the eighth and ninth centuries and the way al-Dīnawarī reacted to these challenges.
Research Interests:
This article concerns early representations in Arabic-Islamic sources of Ḥijāzī opposition to the dynastic succession initiated by Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān shortly before his death in 41/661. The study emphasizes the importance of Qurʾānic... more
This article concerns early representations in Arabic-Islamic sources of Ḥijāzī opposition to the dynastic succession initiated by Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān shortly before his death in 41/661. The study emphasizes the importance of Qurʾānic exegesis for understanding the origin of the Ḥijāzī-Umayyad debate over rightful caliphal succession. It also demonstrates that examining how this episode is depicted in various literary genres offers a wider perspective on the construction of historical narratives in terms of provenance, protagonists, and objectives. The analysis of tafsīr interpretations of Q 46:17, which serve as the article’s underpinning, reveals that the Umayyad court promoted the view that ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr was the rebellious son mentioned in this verse. Depictions of this dispute in the ḥadīth, ansāb, and adab genres clearly connect Marwān b. al- Ḥakam with this interpretation after ʿAbd al-Raḥmān questioned Muʿāwiya’s appointment of his son Yazīd as his successor. The portrayals of the Ḥijāzī-Umayyad debate in taʾrīkh accounts represent a different perspective, one that shows a transition from a tribal and provincial setting to a broader caliphal political framework. The gradual shift from a reliance on Medinan transmitters to a focus on Iraqi authorities testifies to this orientation, as does the appearance of new leading protagonists. ʿAbd al-Raḥmān’s central role as a leader of the Ḥijāzī opposition to the Umayyads in the tafsīr, ḥadīth, and adab literature becomes secondary and overshadowed by other Ḥijāzī figures, particularly ʿAbd Allāh b. al-Zubayr.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Modern Languages Journals at
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This collection of essays and conversations sheds light on and discusses how images in films and animation have influenced identity portrayals in the Arab context. Published to accompany the first exhibition at the new Media Majlis at... more
This collection of essays and conversations sheds light on and discusses how images in films and animation have influenced identity portrayals in the Arab context. Published to accompany the first exhibition at the new Media Majlis at Northwestern University in Qatar, this beautifully crafted book discusses a spectrum of impressions and visual cues in film, both of and from the Arab world, that often unwittingly create distortions, in turn inspiring confidence or promoting stereotypes and even prejudices that have led to war or inter-regional conflicts of many kinds. - from publisher\u27s website
Research Interests:
This article concerns early representations in Arabic-Islamic sources of Ḥijāzī opposition to the dynastic succession initiated by Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān shortly before his death in 41/661. The study emphasizes the importance of Qurʾānic... more
This article concerns early representations in Arabic-Islamic sources of Ḥijāzī opposition to the dynastic succession initiated by Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān shortly before his death in 41/661. The study emphasizes the importance of Qurʾānic exegesis for understanding the origin of the Ḥijāzī-Umayyad debate over rightful caliphal succession. It also demonstrates that examining how this episode is depicted in various literary genres offers a wider perspective on the construction of historical narratives in terms of provenance, protagonists, and objectives. The analysis of tafsīr interpretations of Q 46:17, which serve as the article’s underpinning, reveals that the Umayyad court promoted the view that ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. Abī Bakr was the rebellious son mentioned in this verse. Depictions of this dispute in the ḥadīth, ansāb, and adab genres clearly connect Marwān b. alḤakam with this interpretation after ʿAbd al-Raḥmān questioned Muʿāwiya’s appointment of his son Yazīd as his successor. Th...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The article examines the use of Arabic as a sociolinguistic marker in American films that were released around the time of the events of 9/11/01 and investigates the extent to which stereotypical factors have been continuing in the same... more
The article examines the use of Arabic as a sociolinguistic marker in American films that were released around the time of the events of 9/11/01 and investigates the extent to which stereotypical factors have been continuing in the same vein as in the past. Specifically, this study is a textual analysis of the application of Arabic in five recent films: Three Kings (dir. David O. Russell, 1999), Hidalgo (dir. Joe Johnston, 2004), Kingdom of Heaven (dir. Ridley Scott, 2005), Syriana (dir. Stephen Gaghan, 2005), and Body of Lies (dir. Ridley Scott, 2008). The article demonstrates that the manner in which Arabic is employed in these movies points to efforts towards a better understanding of the political and social complexities of Arabs and their culture and raises awareness of the Other.
Research Interests:
The article explores the significance of Ibn Ḥabīb’s Kitāb al-muḥabbar in understanding the evolution of early Islamic historical thought in general and the emergence of Islamic universal histories in particular. The study demonstrates... more
The article explores the significance of Ibn Ḥabīb’s Kitāb al-muḥabbar in understanding the evolution of early Islamic historical thought in general and the emergence of Islamic universal histories in particular. The study demonstrates that prophetic narratives serve as the point of departure of early Islamic universal historical thought. Ibn Ḥabīb arranges prophetic narratives chronologically and applies organizational strategies to create thematic and sequential interconnections between Islamic representations and biblical-Jewish histories. Muḥammad’s prophethood (nubuwwa), therefore, serves as the main thematic and chronological axis around which Ibn Habib’s arrangements of prophetic history revolve. The study also shows that Ibn Habib’s portrayals of prophetic history give insights into the transition in early Islamic historical portrayals and interests from local Islamic-Arab needs to broader universal settings. This process seems to have begun with efforts to place Arab-genea...
Research Interests:
This article investigates the portrayals of the Paulicians in early Islamic sources and specifically analyses the role that Paulician religious views play in Islamic anti-Christian writings. The study also gives insights into the nature... more
This article investigates the portrayals of the Paulicians in early Islamic sources and specifically analyses the role that Paulician religious views play in Islamic anti-Christian writings. The study also gives insights into the nature of materials that were available to Muslim scholars and the strategies they applied in constructing coherent arguments to refute certain Christian religious beliefs. In doing so, the study touches upon Muslims’ religious needs and scholarly curiosity, which sheds light on their intellectual interactions with non-Islamic religious beliefs and philosophical ideas. The article demonstrates that references to Paulician religious beliefs can be found primarily in early Christian–Islamic polemics. Muslim polemicists, most of whom were Muʿtazilites, attempted to demonstrate the soundness and the coherence of Islamic tenets vis-à-vis inadequacies and contradictions in Christian doctrines. The reliance of Muslim polemicists on heresiographical discourse there...
In modern standard Arabic, recurrences of the term qarn (pl. qurūn), of the root q-r-n,1 revolve around two meanings: a “horn” or “one hundred years.”2 The association of qarn with “horn” is borrowed from the animal domain due to the... more
In modern standard Arabic, recurrences of the term qarn (pl. qurūn), of the root q-r-n,1 revolve around two meanings: a “horn” or “one hundred years.”2 The association of qarn with “horn” is borrowed from the animal domain due to the eye-catching sight of the animal’s horns. Hence, the etymology of qarn is based on the notion that two things are situated parallel to each other.3 This study, however, will not examine the first meaning of qarn, but instead focus on the second. The attestations of qarn in early Islamic sources point to a composite term that retained a wide range of
Research Interests:
This empirical case study has two objectives. First, it reports on the pedagogical applicability and practicability of proverbs in teaching Arabic language and culture at the novice level and up according to guidelines of the American... more
This empirical case study has two objectives. First, it reports on the pedagogical applicability and practicability of proverbs in teaching Arabic language and culture at the novice level and up according to guidelines of the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). Second, it examines how the use of proverbs in teaching inspires active learning and stimulates students’ intercultural perception. The empirical activities presented in this article demonstrate that the constructive integration of Arabic proverbs in language teaching helps improve learners’ linguistic competency, intercultural awareness, and cross-cultural communication. The article also shows that proverbs constitute an important repository of authentic materials that can provide educators with new instructional ideas and strategies in teaching Arabic as a foreign or second language. The study’s findings also mirror ongoing pedagogical discussions about teaching Arabic as a foreign and strategic l...