Syllabus

Introduction to Islam
NEAR E / RELIG 211

Dr. Jonathan Brown

Tues/Wed/Thurs. 10:20-1:30
Denny 216

Course Description:
Islam is a world religion with approximately 1.3 billion adherents.  It has also served as the organizing theme of a world civilization, numerous massive empires and important geo-political resistance movements since the faith’s founding in seventh-century Arabia.  This class provides an introduction to the tenets, practice and historical development of the religion of Islam.  It also introduces students to the principal genres of scholarly and religious expression in Islamic civilization. 

Textbook and Readings for the course, available at UW Bookstore:

• Daniel Brown, A New Introduction to Islam
• Electronic reserves can be found at: https://eres.lib.washington.edu/eres/courseindex.aspx?error=&page=search.  Search under Brown or Islam.

Assignments and Evaluation: grades will be based on…

• Midterm: 40%
• Final Exam: 40%
• Class Participation: 10%
• ‘1 minute’ essays in lectures (based on readings and lecture): 10%

 

Course Schedule and Assignments:
The following assignments are due on the date listed.

Thurs. 7/23   Part 1: Introduction: Goals of the Course
                        Part 2: The Near East and Arabia on the Eve of Islam

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 3-34.

Tues. 7/28    Part 1: Near East & Eve of Islam cont.

Part 2: The Life of Muhammad

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 53-96 (The Quran through The Tradition Literature)
• 'Life of Muhammad' chapter sent by email

Wed. 7/29      Part 1: The Quran
                        Part 2: Islamic Conquests and Integration into the Near East

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 35-50 ('Religion of Empire')
• Qur’an, selections: Surat al-Najm, Surat al-Anfal, Surat al-Ahzab, Surat al-Duha, Surat al-Mudaththir (e-reserve) (nb: surat means ‘chapter’)
• Muqatil b. Sulayman and Ibn Kathir (Quranic Commentaries) (e-reserve)

Thurs. 7/30   Part 1: Islamic Conquests and Integration into the Near East cont.
                        Part 2: The Islamic State and the Rise of Sectarianism

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 99-115 ('The Caliphate')
• Selection from al-Tabari’s History (e-reserve)
• Herodotus on the Medean capital (e-reserve)

Tues. 8/4      Part 1: Hadith, Transmission and the Idiom of Islamic Law.
                       Part 2: Shiism

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 116-134 ('Islamic Law')
• Selection from al-Shafi’i’s Risala (e-reserve)
• ‘Treatise on the Occultation of the Hidden Imam (e-reserve)

Wed. 8/5        Part 1: Shiism cont.
                        Part 2: Islamic Theology, Philosophy

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 135-153 ('Islamic Philosophy and Theology')
• Basri and Qudama (e-reserve): ‘The Letter of al-Hasan al-Basri on Free Will,’ ‘The Creed of Ibn Qudama’
• The Martyrdom of al-Husayn’ (e-reserve)

Thurs. 8/6     Part 1: Midterm
__________Part 2: Islamic Theology, Philosophy cont.

Tues. 8/11     Part 1: Sufism and Popular Islam
                        Part 2: Islam in the Middle Period

• Read: Brown, Intro Islam, 154-74 ('Sufism')
• ‘Sufi Prayers and Catechisms’ (e-reserve)

Wed. 8/12     Part 1: Islam in the Middle Period cont.
                       Part 2: Islam in World Civilization: Gunpowder Empires and Revival and Reform

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 177-206 ('Turks, Crusaders & Mongols,' 'Encounter with the West')
• God’s Unruly Friends (e-reserve)
• Busbeq’s letter (e-reserve)

Thurs. 8/13   Part 1: Islamic Art and Spirituality
                        Part 2: Islam and Modernity

• Read: Seyyed H. Nasr, Islamic Art and Spirituality, (e-reserve), 3-59.

Tues. 8/18     Part 1: Islam and Modernity cont.
                        Part 2: The Question of Jihad

• Read: Brown, Intro to Islam, 207-233 ('Islam & Modernity', 'Epiloque')
• Keddie, An Islamic Response to Imperialism, 36-45 (e-reserve)
• Selection from Reuven Firestone, Jihad pg. 47-97 (e-reserve)
• Writings of Osama b. Laden, in Messages to the World (e-reserve)

Wed. 8/19      Part 1: Gender and Islam
                        Part 2: Conclusion and Review

• Chapters on Birth Control and Divorce, (e-reserve) 108-10, 113-15
• Amina Wadud, “Qur’an and Woman,” Liberal Islam (1998), pp. 127-138;

Thurs. 8/20    Final Exam

 

Administrative Issues and Grading:

Questions concerning grading should be addressed to the professor.

 

Contact Information:

Dr. Jonathan Brown

• Email: brownj9@u.washington.edu
• Phone: 206-616-2390
• Office Hours: Tuesday 1:45-3:00 pm in M-27 on the second floor of Denny above the Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations Office

 

Academic Honesty

            In case of academic misconduct, such as copying homework or cheating on quizzes or exams, the offending student will be penalized in accordance with the policy of the College of Arts & Sciences: (http://depts.washington.edu/grading/issue1/honesty.htm ). Those students who allow others to copy their work will also be penalized.

 

Disability Accommodations

            If you would like to request academic accommodations due to a disability, please contact Disabled Student Services, 448 Schmitz, (206) 543-8924. If you have a letter from Disabled Student Services indicating you have a disability that requires academic accommodations, please present the letter to the professor so we can discuss the accommodations you might need for the class. Their website is:  (http://www.washington.edu/students/gencat/front/Disabled_Student.html ), in 448 Schmitz, or 206-543-8924 (V/TTY).