Introduction to Islam – Spring 2017 – Azam TTH 2:00 – 3:15 – MEZ B0.306 ISL 310 (41560), RS 319 (43670), HIS 306N.7 (39185), ANS 301M.15 (31615) *** This course carries a Global Cultures flag. *** Email: [email protected] Office: CAL 506 Office Hours: Weds 11:00-1:30 or by appointment. Advance notice encouraged. Teaching Assistants: For last names A-H – Øyvind Bjøru: [email protected] Office hours: by appointment Location: by appointment Discussion #1: Location: CAL 515 Discussion #2: Thu 8:00-9:00 am Location: CAL 515 For last names I-Z – Joshua Jones: [email protected] Office hours: Fri 10:00-11:00 Location: HRH 3.102 Discussion #1: Tue 3:30-4:30 Location: CAL 515 Discussion #2: Fri 12:00-1:00 Location: CAL 515 Course Description The objective of this course is to give students a foundational understanding of Islam and Muslims, in terms of beliefs, practices, and culture. In order to achieve this three-part objective, we will read materials from various perspectives and of different genres. We will devote some time to Islamic history, because even if a religion is conceived in terms of universals and ideals, its actual manifestation is always tempered by historical, cultural and social context. We will explore the meaning of Islam as a worldview and a moral system through examining its doctrinal, ritual, philosophical, ethical and spiritual dimensions. This course is designed for students with no prior knowledge of Islam. Course Textbook (available at the Co-Op): • William E. Shepard, Introducing Islam (2nd edition, Routledge, 2014) Additional readings available on Canvas: • Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Qur’an • Imam al-Ghazali (d.1111), Inner Dimensions of Islamic Worship (The Islamic Foundation) • John A. Williams, The Word of Islam (1st edition, University of Texas Press, 1994) Grading Attendance 20% Midterm Exam 25% Survey Project 25% - Project Proposal 5% - Survey Questions 5% - Survey Responses 7% - Final Report 8% Final Exam 30% 1 Attendance: Regular attendance will be expected. You are permitted two unexcused absences without detriment to your grade; any absences beyond this may count against your attendance grade. Exceptions will be only made at my discretion and with documentation in the event of serious illness/surgery, death in the family, emergencies, and the like. Any SSD paperwork must be brought to me within the first two weeks of classes. Attendance will commence at the start of each class period. If you walk in after attendance has been taken, then it is your responsibility to inform the responsible TA of your presence as soon as possible on/after the same class period. Exams: These will cover both readings and lectures. The midterm will take the entire class period, and the final will be given at the Registrar-designated time slot. If you arrive late, you will have less time to do the test. Make-up tests and exams will only be permitted at my discretion. If you have a scheduling conflict, you must obtain permission from me at least two weeks in advance of the exam. Emergencies should be documented and I or a TA should be notified immediately. Survey Project: During the semester, you will design a project in which you survey participants on their knowledge of a certain topic or theme in Islam. The instructions for this will be available on Canvas. Communication You are responsible for any announcements made in class, sent out via email, or made on Canvas. This includes announcements made during any portion of class for which you are absent, or email messages that you fail to receive. It is your responsibility to provide me a valid email address and to check it regularly. I will assume all Registrar-held email addresses are valid unless you tell me otherwise. Grading Rubric Percentage Grade Letter Grade Percentage Grade Letter Grade 93-100 A 73-76 C 90-92 A- 70-72 C- 87-89 B+ 67-69 D+ 83-86 B 63-66 D 80-82 B- 60-62 D- 77-79 C+ 59 and below F Note: Final course grades will be rounded to the nearest point, eg: 89.2 = 89 = B+ 89.7 = 90 = A- 89.5 = 90 = A- Note: Students with disabilities may request appropriate accomodations from Services for Students with Disabilities at 512-471-6259, or www.utexas.edu/diversity/ddce/ssd/. Note: Laptop and cellphone use is prohibited in class. 2 CLASS SCHEDULE DATES TO REMEMBER: First day of class Tuesday 1/17 Spring Break Monday 3/13 – Friday 3/17 Last day of class Thursday 5/4 Final exams TBA (available online at UT Registrar’s website) UNIT 1 COURSE INTRODUCTION AND BASIC CONCEPTS (#1-3) 1) Tue 1/17 Course Introduction; Thinking about Islam/Muslims 2) Thu 1/19 Idea of “Religion”; Basics Concepts in Religion • Shepard, Ch.1 (1-14, Approaching the subject) • U.S. Religious Knowledge Survey - Executive Summary 3) Tue 1/24 Basic Concepts in Islam/Islamic Studies • Shepard, Ch.2 (17-30, On the eve of Islam) • Video: Documentary “Islam: Empire of Faith, Part 1: Prophet Muḥammad and the Rise of Islam” (watch from 0:00 – 42:27 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UHhbSvOcz4g) UNIT 2 EARLY HISTORY OF ISLAM: MUḤAMMAD AND THE QUR’AN, THE EARLY PERIOD, SECTARIAN DIVERGENCES, & THE CLASSICAL TRADITION (#4-8) 4) Thu 1/26 The Pre-Islamic Period, Muḥammad/Advent of Islam • Shepard, Ch.3 (31-46, Muslim history to 700 CE) 5) Tue 1/31 The Qur’an: History of Revelation, Assembly, and Codification • Shepard, Ch.5 (65-83, The Qur’an) • Video: “Probably the Oldest Quran fragments found in Birmingham University” (8 min – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKSxmo9Moqk) • Video: “The Art of Arabic Calligraphy,” by Taha al-Hiti, at The Guardian (3 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7e4QBxtCl8) • Video: Recitation of al-Fatiha in prayer context by Sh. Okasha Kamena (2 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ievAZfkY3to) • Video: “Chinese Muslim Quran Recitation” (5 min – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6pBPTkJ3yEA) • Video: Recitation by Malaysian woman reciter, Sharifa Khasif (4 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db4HleAEfMY) • Audio: Javanese recitation of al-Fatiha in English translation (approx 2 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYilErF7Kpc) 6) Thu 2/2 The Early Caliphate; Sectarian Divergences • Shepard, Ch.8 (120-133, Sects and political theory) 7) Tue 2/7 Politics and Sectarian Theology in Early Islam • Survey Project Proposal due 3 8) Thu 2/9 The Early Medieval Period and the Islamic Tradition • Shepard, Ch.4 (47-62, History of Islam from 700-1700 CE) • Shepard, Ch.14 (209-226, Culture and counter-culture) • Video: Thuluth circle, by Kurshid Gohar (8 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPQ4eIrEPAQ) UNIT 3 ISLAM AS THE WAY OF THE PROPHETS; MUḤAMMAD AS A RELIGIOUS FIGURE (#9-10) 9) Tue 2/14 The Concept of Prophethood in Islam; the Prophets of Islam • Shepard, Ch.6 (84-98, The Prophet Muḥammad) • Video: BBC documentary, “What the Ancients Did For Us” (58 min – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMDjF64mGLw) 10) Thu 2/16 The Prophets of Islam, contd.; Muhammad as Exemplar • Video: Watch first half of PBS documentary, “Muḥammad: Legacy of a Prophet” (watch from 0:00 to 53:05 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xualnx_islam-muhammad-legacy-of-a-prophet- pbs_news) UNIT 4 ISLAMIC COSMOLOGY (#11-14) 11) Tue 2/21 Cosmology: Classes of Beings • Video: Watch second half of PBS documentary, “Muḥammad: Legacy of a Prophet” (watch from 53:05 to 1:56:53 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xualnx_islam-muhammad-legacy-of-a- prophet-pbs_news) • Abdel Haleem, Ch.7 (Life and Afterlife) 12) Thu 2/23 Cosmology: Divine Communication/Revelation • Abdel Haleem, Ch.8 (Paradise) 13) Tue 2/28 Cosmology: God, Myself, and Others • Abdel Haleem, Ch.10 (Adam & Eve) 14) Thu 3/2 Cosmology: Sacred History Timeline • Survey Questions due UNIT 5 ISLAM AS THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD (#15-17) 15) Tue 3/7 Systematic Theology (kalam): Concept/Scope; Nature of Faith and Membership in the Community • Shepard, Ch.9 (134-145, Scholars and learning) Videos on predestination (qada’) vs free will (qadr) – also on theodicy (problem of evil): • Video: “Ahmad Deedat, predestination in Islam” (4 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yT0dQ57o98) Ê a Sunni/Salafi perspective • Video: “Pre Destination or Fate (Qadar) and our free will by Zakir Naik” (5 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6F6KL8poW8A) Ê Sunni perspective • Audio: Islamic Theology, Good & Evil - Hamza Yusuf and Umar Faruq Abdallah (13 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLl-X8XQmtw) Ê a Sunni perspective 4 16) Thu 3/9 Systematic Theology: Nature of God and Reconciling His Attributes • Shepard, Ch.11 (163-174, Theology and philosophy) SPRING BREAK – MON MAR 13 – FRI MAR 17 17) Tue 3/21 Systematic Theology: Theological Place of Nature, Reason, History Videos on theodicy / the problem of evil: • Video: “The Problem of Evil – Hamza Yusuf” (6 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzS5B49UFLc) – a Sunni perspective • Video: “Seyyed Hossein Nasr - Why does evil exist?” (4 min - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLZ6zrPy6oo) – a Shī‘ī/Sufi perspective • Video: “Mahmoud Ayoub - Did God Create Evil?” (4 min – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbEN2jMZM1M) – comparative religion perspective UNIT 6 ISLAM AS A PROGRAM FOR SOCIETY-BUILDING (#18-20) 18) Thu 3/24 Basic Concepts in Islamic Law; Sources and Methods of Jurisprudence; Purposes of the Sharia • Shepard, Ch.10 (146-162, Islamic law) • Video: “Crash Course World History on Early Islam and the Five Pillars” (13 min - https://klru.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/80370a61-7d89-4c5a-be08-6f8cdae7a41d/islam-the-quran- and-the-five-pillars-all-without-a-flamewar-crash-course-world-history-13/) 19) Tue 3/28 ‘Ibada/Islamic