Introduction to Islamic Studies

Syllabus

Department of Religious Studies
University of North Carolina

Instructor: Liz Gilson
Spring 2006: Tuesday 9:00-11:50am
Office Hours: Monday 9:00-11:00am or by appointment
email: click here

Preamble

Note the title of this course: “Introduction to Islamic Studies.” Let me break that down for you.

“Introduction” means that I assume you have no prior knowledge of Islam. It also means that you will be introduced to many new ideas, concepts, language, and culture, often in a very fleeting sort of way. Do not allow this to frustrate you, but rather use it as an opportunity to take many small samples from a smorgasbord and, having done this, know that you can always go back for second helpings—you will now have the tools and resources to follow your interests.

“Islamic Studies” means everything pertaining to Islam—not only its religion and theology, but also its history, language, society, thought, art, architecture, and place on the canvas of world history, both ancient and modern.

Goals

While there are no pre-requisites for this course, there are requirements concerning mind-set. I expect we will have students from a broad range of backgrounds—religious, geographical, ethnic. In a course such as this, it is easy to bring one’s baggage along—some of it may be old and trustworthy, some of it may be more recently acquired, some of it may have proved useful up till now. I urge you, however, to leave your bags at the door (as they say) and to come in prepared to learn new things and to hear others’ stories. You may be surprised!

By the end of this course you will have shattered some preconceptions, you will have opened a window onto a worldview different from your own (whether you look from the outside in, or the inside out), and you will have broadened your outlook in ways that may be eye-opening to you.

I am available during office hours or by appointment—please don’t wait until you have a big problem. Drop by to tell me about you and what your particular interests are in this course.

Assignments

A short, one- to two-page response to your readings will be required each week. The questions will be posted on this syllabus a week in advance. The main purpose of the responses is to engage you in the readings that you will have done, and to prepare you to participate in informed discussion in the classroom. Grades will be either “A” (acceptable) or “U” (unacceptable).

Readings listed each week are to be done before the class, in order that you may write your response and actively participate in the discussion.

Exams

Geographical quiz: It is impossible, in a course of this nature, to fully grasp all the implications without at least a rudimentary picture of the lay of the land. To this end, there will be a 20-minute quiz at the beginning of the class in the third week.

Midterm: This will be 50 minutes long and will be made up of multiple choice and short identification questions. A study guide will be provided to you to help you prepare for the exam.

Final: This will be a comprehensive exam—that is to say, it will require synthesis of your work for the entire semester. The exam will consist of some short identifications, and three essays. Again, a study guide will be furnished to you, including a list of possible essay questions.

Grading

15% Response papers
20% Class participation (attendance and discussion)
10% Geographical quiz
20% Midterm exam
35% Final Exam

Required Texts

(FD) Frederick Mathewson DennyAn Introduction to Islam, 2nd ed. New York: Macmillan Pub. Co., 1994.
(MH) Marshall G. S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam: Conscience and History in a World Civilization, Volume 1. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1972.
(CE) Carl W. Ernst, Following Muhammad: Rethinking Islam in the Contemporary World. Chapel Hill: UNC Press, 2003.
(MS) Michael Anthony Sells, Approaching the Qur'an: The Early Revelations (with audio CD). Ashland, OR: White Cloud Press, 1999.
Nawal El-Saadawi, Love in the Kingdom of Oil, trans. Malcolm Williams. London: Saqi, 2001.

Various articles and excerpts will be found on reserve in the library or through links given in this syllabus.

This is a "live" syllabus, in that readings and other useful information will be added as we go along. Be sure to check in to this site on a regular basis.

Selection of Web Resources

Resources on Islam
Barbara von Schlegell (University of Pennsylvania)
Comprehensive and well organized page.

Resources for Study of Islam
Alan Godlas (University of Georgia)
Resources for Studying Islam and the Diverse Perspectives of Muslims
Not quite as pretty as von Schlegell's site, but equally comprehensive. It was nominated for the 6th annual Webby awards.

More Resources on Islamic Studies
Carl Ernst (University of North Carolina)

Islamic History Sourcebook
Fordham University, New York. History and modern issues too. Contains links to articles as well as translations of primary sources.

Islamic Calendar Conversion
Hijri - Gregorian and vice versa

Qur'an
Three translations of the Qur'an, along with some other very good resources, including the database listed below.

Qur'anic Database
USC-MSA Compendium of Muslim Texts. Excellent search tool for the Qur'an.

Of course, this list is not exhaustive. It is given merely to give you a head start as you begin to delve into the subject.

Schedule

Week 1

Lecture: Introduction to Islamic Studies
Discussion:

Based on several short readings to be handed out in class

Reading:

Start reading Love in the Kingdom of Oil. (Finish by week 7)

Week 2

Lecture: Geography, Language, Terms, Pre-Islamic History
Reading:

(FD) Pre-Islamic Arabia: Beliefs, Values, Way of Life, 43-56
(MH) Volume 1, 3-22
(CE) Chapters 1 and 2: 2-69

Week 3

This is based on the two maps of Asia and Africa/Middle East that I have provided.
The quiz will be in the form of a blank world map and a list of locations that you must fill in.

Lecture: Muhammed: Life and Times
Reading:

(FD) Muhammad and the Early Muslim Community, 59-82
(CE) "The Seal of the Prophets: The Prophet Muhammad," 73-92
Frank Peters, “The Quest of the Historical Muhammad,” International Journal of Middle East Studies 23(1991): 291-315
"Life of Muhammad" from BBC site on World Religions

(Lighter reading assigments this week, in view of the time needed to prepare for the quiz.)

Week 4

Lecture: Early Islamic Rule
Reading:

(FD) The Arab Conquests and Islamic Rule, 83-104
(MH) Volume 1: "The Early Muslim State" 187-230
Patricia Crone and Michael Cook, Hagarism: The Making of the Islamic World (extracts)

Week 5

Lecture: Religion of Islam
Reading:

(FD) The Basic Beliefs and Worship Practices of Islam, 107-137
(FD) Muslim Creeds and Theologies, 172-194
(FD) The Sufi Way of Mysticism and Fellowship, 219-266
(CE) Chapter 5 "Spirituality in Practice" 163-197

Week 6

Lecture: The Qur'an and the Hadith
Reading:

(FD) The Nature and Function of the Qur'an, 138-157

(FD) The Prophet's Sunna as Preserved in the Hadith, 158-171
(CE) "The Word of God: The Qur'an," 93-105
(MS) "Introduction," "Glossary," some of "The Early Suras," 1-61

Week 7

Lecture: Islam and the Status of Women
Reading:

(FD) "Islam and the Status of Women" 351-55
Leila Ahmed, Women and Gender in Islam, "Women and the Rise of Islam," 41-63
Ghazala Anwar, "Feminism" in Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, 256-258
Nawal El-Saadawi, Love in the Kingdom of Oil (finish reading this week)

Week 8

Lecture: Some Contemporary Issues (I)
Reading:

(FD) "Fundamentalism," 345-350
Akbar S. Ahmed, Islam Under Siege: Living Dangerously in a Post-Honor World, 23-45

Browse:

Gary Bunt's Virtually Islamic blog with links back to his webpage
"Islam Today" from BBC site on World Religions
"Jihad Watch" - polemic anti-Islamic site (read any three articles and be prepared to discuss them)

Week 9

Lecture: Law and the State
Reading:

(FD) Law and the State in Classical Islamic Formulations, 195-215
J. Schacht, "Law and Justice," from the Cambridge Encyclopaedia of Islam, Vol. II, pt VIII/ch. 4, 539ff

Week 10

Lecture: Islam in Practice
Reading:

(FD) Patterns of Islamic Personal and Communal Life, 269-317
Resa Aslan, "Aunt Kobra's Islamic Democracy", Boston Globe April 17, 2005.
Tayeb Salih, The Wedding of Zein, translated by Denys Johnson-Davies (London: Heinemann, 1969, 1982)

Browse:

Some of the blogs on this list of Muslim bloggers

Week 11

Lecture: The Three Monotheistic Religions
Reading:

(FD) "The Jews" and "Christianity," 16-42
Interviews and assessments of 3 Muslim scholars in Ataullah Siddiqui, Chrisian-Muslim Dialogue in the Twentieth Century,85-122
"Jews and Judaism" and "Christians and Christianity" in Encyclopaedia of the Qur'an.

Browse:

Christian evangelical anti-Islamic "information"
Conversion comic strip
Missionary Islamic site

Week 12

Lecture: Some Contemporary Issues (II)
Reading:

(FD) "Islam and Muslims in North America," 355-366
Greg Noakes, "Muslims and the American Press," in Muslims on the Americanization Path?361-378

Browse:

Council on American-Islamic Relations whose mission is "to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding"
U.S. Dept. of State official site on Muslims in America
Muslim Students Association website
The "Free Muslims Coalition" - a group of American Muslims and Arabs dedicated to ending "fundamentalist Islamic terror"