Light in the Heavens: Sayings of the Prophet Muammad, which was published in 2016, and A Treasury of Virtues: Sayings, Sermons and Teachings of Al, published in 2013. The Franke Institute of Humanities, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation have all given her fellowship support.
The Arabic oral tradition is a prominent and vigorous part of the culture, although there is no emphasis on women’s oration. According to the citation, Qutbuddin’s book “fully explores that tradition in Arabic language, highlighting women’s oration within multiple contexts”. The citation further says that she “runs a comprehensive examination of oration in the Arabic language, with its unique cultural and artistic characteristics. These characteristics include influencing and engaging the audience, the use of photography, the dynamic pace and the occasional use of religious and literary quotations.”
It adds, “This form of communication dates back to the pre-Islam oral tradition of Arabian Peninsula tribes and has undergone several phases of transformation over time until it has taken its modern, distinctive form, earning in the process a status as a genre of Arab heritage worthy of respect in its own right.” “The writer’s exceptional familiarity with classical Arabic literature and her firm grasp on oral tradition studies and theories have enabled her to clearly articulate the various aspects of oration: structure, style, types and function (religious, political, intellectual, social or military)”.
