Terms in Translation: Towards a Historical Understanding of…

Final Paper: Terms in Translation: Towards a Historical Understanding of Islam and Muslims

Be sure to read this entire description. Completing the final paper requires that you read relevant peer-reviewed and encyclopedia articles on your topic. The relevant material is stored in the Zip folder below.

Objective: Examine selected concepts and their development in Muslim history and critically review contemporary Muslim discourse on such concepts.

Summary of two news articles: Due in section of Week 7 (2/19-20): Identify 2 articles that show different usages of the term. Come to section prepared to discuss the articles you have selected and how they may be related to your paper’s argument. [5% of final paper grade].

Final Paper Outline and Thesis: Due in section of Week 9 (3/5-6). Brief outline of paper which includes your thesis statement. Bring your outline and thesis to section, along with any questions about the final paper you may have. [5% of final paper grade]

Final Paper Due Monday, March 16 (by 11:59pm)

All late final papers will have a late penalty of 5% off the final grade for every day they are late. Late final papers will not be accepted after Thursday, March 16th.

Length: 4-6 pages (No more than 6 pages); double-spaced; one-inch margins all around; 12 pt. Times New Roman

Process: Select one of the topics below that is of interest to you. Each of these topics is a term widely used in public discussions about Islam. In order to complete this paper, you must conduct an internet search to understand how the term is used in one or two news media outlets; read the articles posted below on Canvas about your topic; and answer the questions below. The final paper should have at least three (short) quotations from the assigned readings.

Terms (select one that interests you for your paper):

Caliph

Fatwa

Madrasa

The papers must answer the questions below and follow the format outlined below:

• What is the prevalent usage of the term in news media and in what contexts is the term used? (This section should be confined to one paragraph. Your analysis here should be based on a search for the term on sites such as CNN.com, MSNBC.com, Fox News, New York Times, or wherever you usually get your news.)
• Outline/summarize in your own words the historical development of the concept as presented in the encyclopedia article posted on Canvas about your selected topic. Pay special attention to the lexical meaning of the term in Arabic, or how it compares to similar terms, and how it may have acquired special significance in particular cultural/historical contexts.
• Drawing on the articles posted on Canvas that are related to your chosen topic, discuss how historical and political contexts have influenced the ways in which Muslims have understood or interpreted the selected topic.

Grading Rubric

Checklist for Writing Assignments

1. **Please write the essay question at the beginning of the paper and keep it in mind as you develop and write your paper.
2. Answer all parts of questions.
3. Present a clear thesis statement.
4. Have a clear structure (introduction, development of thesis, body, conclusion)
5. Provide adequate supporting arguments, evidence, examples and details.
6. Correctly acknowledge and document sources; you should use Chicago Manual of Style or another accepted style (e.g. MLA) for formatting all footnotes/references. Be consistent with whichever style you choose and do not switch styles across your paper.
7. Check for grammatical and spelling errors, proof-read for correct and clear use of language.
8. Demonstrate familiarity with relevant readings.
9. Demonstrate creativity and original thinking.

A Work: Strong evidence of original thinking; good organization, capacity to analyze and synthesize course material; excellent grasp of subject matter; no mistakes (with respect to grammar, syntax, diction). Fulfills criteria mentioned in all points above.

B Work: Demonstrates understanding of subject matter, evidence of analytic ability; understanding of relevant issues; evidence of familiarity with the literature. Fulfills points 1-8 above.

C Work: Shows some (limited) understanding of the subject matter; shows familiarity with course reading (and other relevant material); treats all parts of the question. Only partially fulfills points 1-8.

D Work: Little evidence of familiarity with subject matter and no evidence that critical and analytic skills have been developed. Failure to fulfill requirements of points 1-8.

F Work: Assignments that violate UCLA Academic Honesty policy or fail to minimally fulfill requirements of points 1-8.

Basic Tips on in Essay Writing

1. Structure of Essay
2. Please make sure you have an introductory paragraph that presents your thesis. Minimally, the thesis should clearly state your main argument. Ideally, the introduction and thesis should provide a map of the paper (by presenting them in the order in which you will cover them in your paper). Your conclusion should summarize the main points and ideally, present one or two new directions/ideas for future research or investigation.
3. Each paragraph must have a topic sentence. The body of the paragraph should then logically develop the theme of the topic sentence.
4. Grammar and Syntax (a few guidelines)
5. There should be agreement between the subject and verb in terms of number and gender.
6. Verb tenses should be consistent.
7. There should be no dangling introductory clauses (i.e. dangling modifiers). This is a very common mistake that can be avoided by careful proofreading. (I usually find this mistake with respect to introductory clauses, but it occurs in other places in sentences as well).
8. INCORRECT SENTENCE STRUCTURE: Having completed the revisions of the draft, the paper was submitted.
9. CORRECT VERSION: Having completed the revisions of the draft, the student submitted the paper.
10. Proof-read carefully for run-on sentences as well as incomplete ones.
11. Punctuation
12. Commas are the most commonly misused and abused punctuation marks. One good website that provides a review for the use of commas is
14. Diction
15. Be sure that your choice of words reflects your intention as a writer. Students sometimes use a fancy word even though a simpler one is better suited for the context. If you are using a word that you are not entirely familiar with, look it up, and explore the contexts in which it is used to be sure that your usage is correct.
16. The best remedy for diction errors is to read, read, read. Frequent reading of high quality writing will significantly improve your own writing and help you develop your own distinct style of written expression.