Religion 222: Introduction to Islam
Fall 2009- Wed 6:00 – 8:45 pm / FH 207 Alfons H. Teipen; Department of Religion FH 206 L office hours by appointment (please e-mail me to set up an appointment!) Tel.: 294-3310 / e-mail: alfons.teipen@furman.edu
General Description This class will introduce students to the basic history, thought and religious practices of Islam. An emphasis on the problematic relationship between religious ideals and societal realities, as well as cursory excurses into questions of the relationship between gender-construction and religion, religion and political authority, as well as Muslim-Christian/Jewish relations will provide the foci for further study. Required Readings (available at the University bookstore) Daniel Brown, A New Introduction to Islam -2nd ed-. Blackwell Publ., 2009 (ISBN 978-1-4051-5807-7) John Esposito and Dalia Mogahed, Who Speaks for Islam? Gallup Press, 2007 (ISBN 978-1-59562-017-0) Omid Safi, ed. Progressive Muslims. Oneworld Publishers, 2003. (ISBN 1-85168-316-X) Additional Readings are available on the Moodle Course delivery system. Information on how to access the system will be made available to all students by the first day of class. Structure and Requirements: The course will feature a mixture of introductory lectures, readings of primary and secondary texts, and class discussions, as well as a combination of co-operative learning units and electronic discussions via Moodle. Students will receive access information for this system no later than the first day of class. Regular attendance at all class meetings is mandatory; students who miss a class will be held accountable for the material that was covered during that class. Absence for any reason from two (2) classes will result in a lowering of the final grade by one full letter-grade; absence from three (3) or more classes will result in an “F.” Students who provide the instructor with an advance notice of their absence in writing, sufficiently document the legitimacy of their absence (illness, family emergency, etc), and present the instructor with a typewritten summary of the readings, as well as a summary of the material covered during the class at which they were absent (at least 3 pages, double spaced, altogether) may be eligible to have that absence removed from their record. These materials must be turned in to the instructor (via e-mail) no later than a week after the absence occurred. If a student is absent for a quiz or an exam, such quiz / exam can only be made up within 14 days if the student proves that her/his absence was due to extremely extenuating circumstances. If the student is unable to prove that such circumstances prevented him / her from attending, s/he will receive an “F” for the quiz / exam missed. Preparation for this class, as well as oral participation in class discussion, and participation in electronic discussion are an important part of the students course work and will be considered in the computation of the final grade. Such preparation includes, but is not limited to reading texts assigned. At times, students will struggle with vocabulary, foreign and technical terms, and unfamiliar and at times abstract ideas and concepts. Students are encouraged to have a Webster’s Dictionary close at hand, and are asked to read difficult texts repeatedly so as to penetrate their meaning. Assigned readings may be the subject of several unannounced quizzes, if that becomes necessary as gauged by the instructor. Americans with Disabilities Act Students with disabilities who need academic accommodations should contact Ms. Gina Parris, Disability Services Coordinator (phone number x. 2322.) After meeting with her, schedule an appointment with me. Please do not procrastinate; do this EARLY in the term. Essay In addition to two tests and a final examination, students will write a brief essay on a student selected topic. Students will be asked to have decided on a preliminary topic by the end of the second week of classes (9/9). Students will submit an abstract (b/w 50 – 100 words) and a preliminary bibliography by the third week (Friday, 9/16), and a summary outline of the paper by October 7th. Students will consult at least three scholarly works (books, articles) out of which no more than one will be encyclopedic articles or WWW resources.) Each student will have the opportunity to submit one paper draft to the instructor for comments and suggestions; students who are interested in this option are asked to turn in their draft copies no later than November 18 th. The final essay is to be e-mailed to the instructor as an electronic copy (an attachment in Word, or as rtf-document) no
later than Monday, December 7th; additionally, students will submit the paper to the plagiarism prevention website, turnitin.com. A paper copy of the essay, plus copies of the earlier essay materials (abstract, bibliography, outline, draft) will be turned in to the instructor on Wednesday, December 9th. The essay will be between 4-6 pages in length (double spaced, 12 pt font size). Details about how to submit to this website will be made available early in the term.
List of Essay Topic possibilities: (you are encouraged to develop your own topic in consultation with the instructor) Veil – “Hijab” Islam and Marriage Islam and Divorce Islamic Art Dietary Law Islam in America The Nation of Islam Jalaluddin Rumi Islam and Democracy Muslim-Christian Dialogue Muhammad Ali Muslim notions of heaven Sexuality and Islam Muslim-Jewish Dialogue Malcolm X Muslim notions of hell Islamic Banking Mosques / Architecture Jerusalem and Islam Cat Stevens/Yusuf Islam
Plagiarism / Academic dishonesty Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated in this class. Students who behave in academically dishonest ways will receive a letter grade "F" for the entire course. Furman University's policy on academic dishonesty will be followed. Be sure you consult with your instructor before turning in your paper if you have any questions regarding plagiarism or academic dishonesty. In order to help the instructor detect possible infringements on academic honesty, this class will make use of the services of Turnitin.com. Students will be asked to electronically submit a copy of their paper to Turnitin.com. Please be aware that your paper will become part of Turnitin.com’s paper database. Online participation. You will be required to participate in various Moodle online discussions, reading contributions by others and posting your own contributions. At least one posting per week of at least 30 words is required. Moolde entries should not merely summarize materials or describe topics, but should engage materials from your own point of view: what did you find surprising, interesting, unusual or significant in the readings? Was there something you particularly liked or disliked? Are there points of comparison or agreement with previous readings or with others’ opinions? Very high quality answers will increase your participation grade. Grading: 10% 10% 20% 10% 30% attendance, oral participation, and other course responsibilities Moodle participation Tests 1 and 2 Essay final exam
Tentative Course Schedule: Please note that this schedule is tentative; in all likelihood, we will occasionally deviate from it; changed reading assignments will be announced in class or on Moodle.
Topic Syllabus / technicalities; Basic Overview; Orientalism 1; What do we know? pre-Islamic Arabia The traditional account: Muhammad: from birth to hijra; Isra’ and mi’raj / Muhammad and the Jews [Deadline: Topic for essay] Battles and conquest Muhammad’s wives Muhammad’s significance [Deadline: Abstract and bibliography] Qur’an as a text; Qur’an and theology: Early verses, God and human, Creation, human nature, Iblis; Abraham and hanifiyya; Qur’an and theology: Jesus and Mary Reading: (numbers indicate chapters)
I. W 8/26
W 9/2
Brown 1, 2 MOODLE, M. Asad, Road to Mecca, Introduction MOODLE: E. Said, “Orientalism Reconsidered.” Brown 3,4 WWW: Seyyed Hossein Nasr: The Prophet and Prophetic Tradition - The Last Prophet and Universal Man Brown 5, WWW: Essay: "THE KORAN," by Sachiko Murata & William C. Chittick WWW: Excerpts Qur’an on human nature, creation, Iblis; WWW: Excerpts Qur’an: Jesus and Mary WWW: v. Denffer, Ulum al-Qur’an (MOODLE-files); WWW: Richard Kroes: “Missionary, dilettante or visionary? A review of Ch. Luxenberg” [http://www.livius.org/opinion/Luxenberg.htm]
W 9/9
W 9/16
W 9/23
Qur’an as “aggadah and halakhah” The Qur’an in Muslim Piety Qur’an and religious ritual practice; Historical – critical approaches Test I
W 9/30
Hadith and Shari’ah Hajj in Qur’an and Hadith, Hanifiyya and Ka’ba, Hajj in practice and theology, Ramadan / Sawm , Zakat, Shahadah [Deadline: Summary outline of essay]
Brown, 6, 10 WWW: J. Schacht, “Law and Justice” Moodle-files: “Tales of the Prophets – Abraham;” WWW: Website on Hajj (please browse, familiarize yourself with the basic rituals) MOODLE-files: MalcolmX pdf [Excerpts from the Autobiography of Malcolm X]; WWW: Seyyed Hossein Nasr, “Why do Muslims fast?” MOODLE: Nasr, “The Spiritual Significance of Jihad;” WWW: M. Ayoub, The Excellences of Imam Husayn Brown 9 Brown 7, 8 WWW: The Rise of Islam in the World, Patricia Crone Brown, 11; WWW: Al Fiqh al-Akbar (http://www.worldofislam.info/ebooks/fiqakbar.pdf)
W 10/7
W 10/14 W 10/21 W 10/28
The Sixth pillar: Jihad; Sunnis and Shi’ites Conquests revisited , Early History of Islamic spread, Test II Muslim Theology and Philosophy; Muslim Creed
W 11/4
Sufism, Crusades and Mongoles The “West” and Modernity Modern Islam: Case Studies I Modern Islam: Case Studies II
Brown, 12, 13 and 14
W 11/11 W 11/18
Safi, Introduction, 1,2,3,4.
Safi 6, 7, 8 , 10, 12. [Optional deadline: draft copy of essay] “Western” Attitudes toward Islam / Muslim attitudes toward “the West” ? Deadline: E-mail Essay and submit copy to turnitin.com Gender Issues Deadline: paper copy of essay plus other, essay related materials (abstract, bibliography, outline, draft…) Final Exam Esposito 1, 2, 3
W 12/2
M 12/7
W 12/9
Esposito 4 ,5; Brown 17 (The Exam cannot be individually rescheduled except by permission from both the Associate Academic Dean and the instructor.
W 12/16(? )