Personal Reflection on an Obscure Academic Topic: A Look Back at My Personal Journey
In the heart of academic rigour at Princeton University, a student embarked on an intriguing journey, delving into the relatively unknown Arabic Christian legal text, the Mukhtaṣar al-Sharīʿa of ʿAbdallāh Qarāʿalī, from 18th-century Lebanon.
Pursuing research as an undergraduate offers the freedom to explore less-researched topics, and this student seized the opportunity to study this text, enjoying the liberty to argue along their preferred lines and chart their unique path of thinking.
However, the text's obscurity had left little written about it. Scholars had often dismissed it, either claiming it was much like every other legal text of its time or emphasizing one highly unusual aspect while ignoring the rest.
Undaunted, the student persevered, sticking with an advisor who had provided valuable guidance in the past. They looked beyond the usual sources, finding hidden parallels and delving into niche topics that connected to their text.
Engaging with primary sources in the original language was crucial. Since the text is Arabic and Christian legal, consulting the original manuscripts or reliable editions (and translations if available) was essential. Language skills or collaboration with experts in Arabic were vital, enabling direct interaction with the material rather than relying on limited English summaries.
Exploring adjacent fields and related literatures also proved beneficial. The student delved into Islamic legal (Sharia) studies, historical Christian-Muslim relations, Middle Eastern legal history, and 18th-century Arabic manuscript traditions to build contextual understanding.
Utilizing interdisciplinary approaches further enriched the research. Combining legal history, religious studies, manuscript studies, and area studies compensated for the lack of direct research, providing a broader analytical framework.
Seeking works in other languages or unpublished theses also yielded results. The student investigated university theses, conference proceedings, or scholars specializing in Arabic Christian communities, uncovering valuable resources that had yet to be translated into English.
Networking with specialists and institutions also played a significant role. The student contacted scholars, libraries, or research centres specializing in Middle Eastern Christian legal heritage or Arabic manuscript collections to access expertise and possibly unpublished material.
Studying using digital humanities and manuscript databases also aided the research. Digital repositories of Arabic manuscripts or legal documents provided access to the text or related materials when physical access was limited.
These strategies helped overcome the challenge of limited English-language academic work by broadening the resource base and enhancing understanding through linguistic, contextual, and methodological expansion.
Despite the challenges, the student found the relative obscurity of this topic intriguing and wished there was more written about it. They overcame these challenges by using scholarly writing not written in English, AI-based translation software for French and German works, and working through Arabic material on their own.
The thesis process can be a rewarding experience, regardless of the topic's mainstream status. Researching a more obscure source allows one to look at it from a bigger angle and ask bigger questions. At Princeton, numerous resources are available to support seniors writing their theses, making such journeys of discovery possible.
The student's senior thesis, immersed in the exploration of the Arabic Christian legal text Mukhtaṣar al-Sharīʿa of ʿAbdallāh Qarāʿalī, was an exciting avenue for personal-growth and learning, as they navigated less-trodden scholarly territories, leveraging education-and-self-development opportunities offered by Princeton University. Concurrently, the student's comprehensive analysis of the text also included a junior paper, further illustrating their commitment to the subject matter and the broadening of their learning horizons.
