Fall
Semester, 2005
Dr. Corinne Blake
Department of
Office Hours: Mon & Wed. 12:15-1:30, Tues. 9:30-10:30
Office Phone: (609)256-4500 x3991
e-mail: blake@rowan.edu
This course provides a
general introduction to Islam and Islamic history, concentrating on the Middle
East and
The course is designed to
familiarize students with basic themes, debates, and issues related to Islamic
history, religion, cultures, and societies. Students will develop their writing
and critical thinking skills through the completion of reading and writing
assignments and class discussions. By working with a variety of primary and
secondary materials, including sources from the Internet, students should
develop their abilities to comprehend and analyze texts, especially primary
sources.
This course is also meant to
provide an experience in active learning: students are REQUIRED to
complete reading assignments before class and come to class prepared to discuss
the material.
Lecture Topics and Reading Assignments
Students must purchase the following textbooks:
Jonathan Berkey. The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600-1800
(
There will also be reading assignments from the Internet. All students who decide to take this course must have access to a computer, either through the computer lab or at home.
Students will be evaluated based on the following:
- Attendance, in class and
at home writing assignments, presentations, and participation (20%)
Regular attendance is essential to your success in this course. Classes will be held twice per week; attendance at all classes is mandatory. Attending class on a regular basis is a good beginning, but it is not enough. Regular preparation for class is ESSENTIAL! Students are expected to complete the reading assignments listed below BEFORE each class so that we can clarify any points of difficulty and devote the class to discussing the material. Throughout the semester, students will be asked to complete in class or at home writing assignments and make presentations on assigned material; your performance on these exercises will also be factored into this portion of your grade.
Students who miss more than three classes will not receive a grade higher than "C" for class participation; students who miss five classes or more will receive and an "F" for class participation. I can not accept any excuses, three "absents" should be enough to cover classes missed because of illness or other commitments. I will reconsider this policy only if I receive a letter from the Dean of Students documenting a serious illness or family situation that necessitates missing classes. In these cases, students will be asked to write essays on material related to missed classes. If you are a student who frequently skips classes because of work, sleeping late, or any other reason, you should drop this course and enroll in another course! Students who are late disrupt the class; I know that parking is a problem at Rowan, so be sure to allow plenty of time to circle the parking lot and still make it to class on time. Three "tardies" will be counted as an absence.
Students who miss class for any reason may NOT make up in class writing assignments.
- Two Midterms (20% each)
The midterms on October 12 and Nov. 9 will consist of short answer and essay questions. Mark the dates on your calendar now: students who do not show up for the midterm will receive an "F." - Short Paper (20%)
There is one short (3-4 pages) paper on an assigned topic due on 11/30 at the beginning of class. Since this is a writing assignment, the paper must be carefully organized, well written (with coherent paragraphs and correct sentence structure and punctuation) and PROOFREAD. It also must be typed and double spaced with standard 1 inch margins and #12 font. Papers that are turned in after class begins will be marked down.
- Final Examination (20%)
The final examination during exam week will consist of short answer and essay questions.
Lecture Topics and Reading
Assignments
- 9/7 Introduction
RR: Berkey, pp. 1-9
- 9/12 The Middle East Before Islam
RR: Egger, pp. 1-15; Berkey, pp. 10-38
Terms: Judaism,
- 9/14 Pre-Islamic
Arabia
RR: Egger, pp. 16-22; Berkey, pp. 39-53
Terms: Yathrib, Bedouin, clan/tribe, Quraysh,
- 9/19
Muhammad in
RR: Egger, pp. 20-32; Berkey, pp. 57-69: Optional readings about Muhammad and the Early Muslim community: http://www.islamicity.com/education/ihame/default.asp?Destination=/education/ihame/1.asp; http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/epr_islam.html. If you’re really interested, a detailed biography of the Prophet written by a prominent 20th century Egyptian scholar, Muhammad Husayn Haykal, is available online at: http://www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/MH_LM/default.htm
Terms: Khadijah, Qur'an, Allah, Abu Talib, Medina, Hijrah, Battle of Badr, Battle of Uhud, Battle of the Ditch, ummah, Constitution of Medina, Banu Hashim.
- 9/21
The Qur'an
RR: Go to Shakir's translation of the Qur'an, at http://www.uah.edu/msa/quran/quranShakir.html, http://www.hti.umich.edu/k/koran/browse.html, or http://etext.virginia.edu/koran.html. Read the first surah (the Opening), as well as surah 3 (The Family of Imran), lines 1-70; surah 23 (The Believers), lines 1- 30; surah 75 (The Resurrection); surah 102 (The Multiplication of Wealth and Children/Vying in Abundance) and Surah 112 (the Unity).
TAKE NOTES AS YOU READ: We will discuss in class what you learned from the surahs about Islamic beliefs on the Nature of God, the Day of Judgment, Heaven and Hell, proper moral behavior for humans, and Mary, Jesus, and Noah.
Optional: A couple of sites with Qur’an recitation: http://www.islamicity.com/multimedia/radio/ch100/; http://www.jannah.org/quran/; http://www.reciter.org/
Note:
In surah 3, Imran” refers to “Amram,” the father of Moses and
Aaron; Tavrat” means Torah (first 5 books of the Bible); “Injeel” means Gospel;
“Furqan” here refers to the Qur’an.
“Firon” means “Pharaoh” ; “Nuh” means “Noah”; “Ibrahim” means “Abraham”;
“Marium” means “Mary”; “Shaitan” means “Satan”; “Zakariya” refers to the father
of John the Baptist; “Yayha” refers to John the Baptist; and “Isa” refers to
Jesus
Terms: basmallah, the Fatihah, surah, ayah
- 9/26
Film: "The Message", Part I
RR: Go to Shakir's translation of the Qur'an at http://www.uah.edu/msa/quran/quranShakir.html or http://etext.virginia.edu/koran.html and read ANY surah that hasn’t yet been assigned between surah #30 and #70. Take notes as you read and pass them in at the beginning of class.
Terms: Zayd, Bilal, Hamza, Hind, Abu Sufyan
- 9/28 Film: "The
Message", Part II
RR: Go to Shakir's translation of the Qur'an at http://www.uah.edu/msa/quran/quranShakir.html or http://etext.virginia.edu/koran.html and read ANY THREE surahs between surah #71 and #114. Take notes as you read and pass them in at the beginning of class.
- 10/3
The Arab Conquests and the Rashidun
RR: Egger, pp. 33-39, 45-52; Berkey, pp. 70-75, 91-92
Terms: Caliph, Abu Bakr, Ridda Wars, Jihad, `Umar, Battle of Yarmuk, `Uthman, `Ali, dhimmis, jizya, Rashidun (Rightly Guided Caliphs).
- 10/5
The First Civil War and the Emergence of Shi`ism
RR: Egger, pp. 39-41, 62-71; Berkey, pp. 83-90
Terms: Hasan, Husayn, Battle of Camel, Mu`awiya, Yazid, Kharijites, Battle of Siffin, Imam, Battle of Karbala, Ahl al-Bayt, `Abdallah ibn Zubayr, Muhammad Ibn al-Hanafiyya, al-Mukhtar, mahdi, ghulat.
- 10/10
Umayyad Dynasty
RR: Egger, 41-45, 52-61, 83-84; Berkey, pp. 76-82, 93-101
Terms: `Abd al-Malik, Maghrib, Berbers, Khorosan, Sind/Indus Valley, mawali, Dome of the Rock, Abu ‘Isa al-Isfahani.
- 10/12 MIDTERM I
Muslim Dynasties from the Abbasids to the
Ottomans
- 10/17
Abbasid Revolution and Caliphate
RR: Egger, pp. 70-72, 85-93, 104-113; Berkey, 101-115, 124-126
Terms: `Umar II, Abu Hashim, Muhammad Ibn ‘Ali, Abu Muslim, Abu l-`Abbas/ al-Saffah, al-Mansur, Harun al-Rashid, al-Ma'mun, al-Amin, mamluks, vizir, Qays-Yemeni, Zanj, dinar, Silk Road
- 10/19
The Emergence of Shiite Sects
RR: Egger, pp. 72-80, 93-96, 156-158, 214-219, 306-307; Berkey, 130-143
Terms: Zaydis, Ja’far al-Sadiq, Isma’ilis, taqiya, Imamis/12'ver Shiites, Hidden Imam, Occultation, ‘Abd Allah al-Mahdi, Qarmatians (Carmathians), Tayyibis, al-Hakim, Druze, Nusayris/Alawis.
- 10/24
Three Caliphates: Fatimids, Buyids, and Umayyads
RR: Egger, pp. 96-104, 139-144, 154-160, 162-171, 252-255; Berkey, p. 203.
Terms: ‘Abd al-Rahman, al-Andalus,
- 10/26
Turks and Saljuks
RR: Egger, pp. 145-154, 160-162, 188-193, 233-236; Berkey, pp. 179-181, 189-198, 204-207
Terms: Samanids, Mahmud of Ghazna, Ghaznavids, Oghuz, Turkmen, Tughril, ghazi, Arp-Arslan, Sultanate of Rum, Battle of Manzikert, ikta, Hasan-i Sabbah, Alamut, Assassins, Musta’li-Nizaris, Hasan II and Hasan III
- 10/31
The Crusades and the Reconquista
RR: Egger, pp. 172-188; Berkey, pp. 198-202; Go to the Internet Medieval Sourcebook's page on the Crusades at http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/usamah2.html and read Usmah ibn Munqidh's "Autobiography: Excerpts on the Franks." (“Franks” refers to the European Crusaders) Optional: go to http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/med/salahdin.html, and read "Some Medieval Accounts of Salah al-Din's Recovery of Jerusalem (Al-Quds)." Take notes as you read (turn them in at the beginning of class) and be prepared to discuss the articles in class.
Terms/Dates: 1099, Franks,
- 11/2 The Mongols, Mamlukes and
Delhi Sultanate
RR: Egger, pp. 194-198, 257-276; Berkey, pp. 181-188
Terms: Mamluk Dynasty, Chinggis Khan, Hulagu, Berke, Ain Jalut, Golden Horde/Qipchaq Khanate, Il-khanate, Chaghatay Khanate, Baybars, al-Nasir Muhammad, Iltutmish
- 11/7 The Rise of the Ottoman Empire, Film: The Conquest of Constantinople
RR: Egger, pp. 277-289; Go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Safavids and read the article on the Savavids, then go to the The Internet Islamic History Sourcebook, click on the heading The Ottomans, scroll to the section on Conquest, and read Ludlow's article on "The Tribute of Children." (“seraglio” refers to the palace) Scroll down to section on government and read Busbecq's "Turkish Letters." Take notes as you read (turn them in at the beginning of class) and be prepared to discuss the articles in class.
Terms: Osman, Bayezit, Timur Lang, Samarquand, Mehmed the Conquerer, 1453, Sulayman the Lawgiver Devshirme, Janissaries, Safavids, Ismail I.
- 11/9
MIDTERM II
Islamic Culture and Society
- 11/14
Islamic Society: Land and Peoples
RR: Egger, pp. 219-251; Berkey, 119-123, 159-175, 207-215.
Terms: kuttab, maktab, masjid, jami’, minaret, waqf, madrasa, Dar al-Islam, concubine, eunuch, hamam, suq, quarters, futuwwa orders, iqta, muhtasib, ulema.
- 11/16 Islamic Culture:
Literature
RR: Egger, pp. 293-294, 297-302; and go to the The Internet Islamic History Sourcebook, click on the section "The Caliphate," scroll down to the section on culture, and read a) Ibn Battuta: Travels, Selections OR several sections from Ibn Battuta’s “Travels in Asia and Africa.” b) Nizámu'l Mulk, “On the Courtiers and Familiars of Kings”; c) then scroll down to the section entitled "The Persians," and read one of the poems of Omar Khayyam listed in the "Culture" section (from “In Praise of Wine” to “The Wisdom of the Supreme.”) d) Read the selection from Nizami’s “Khosru and Shireen” in that section as well. e) Finally, scroll down to the section on the Ottomans and read go to Nâilî’s short poem, What witch are you, in the “Culture” section. Take notes on what you read and submit them at the beginning of class.
Terms: Ibn Taymiya, Ibn Khaldun, Muqaddima, Hafez, Ibn Battuta
- 11/21 Islamic Scholarship: Science and Philosophy
RR: Egger, pp.127-138, 199-204, 290-293, 295-297; Berkey, pp. 126-129
Terms: Bayt al-Hikma, al-Khwarizmi, Ibn Sina/Avicenna, ‘Umar Khayyam, al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd/Averroes, Ibn al-Shatir, kalam, Mu’tazilites, al-Ash’ari, ibn Hanbal, bid’a, mihna.
- 11/23
Islamic Scholarship: Hadith
RR: Berkey, pp. 115-118, 145-146; and go to the homepage of the Muslim Students' Association at U.S.C., at http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah. Scroll down and read the article entitled, “A brief introduction to the classification of Hadith.” Focus on the content of the article: you do NOT have to learn any of the Arabic terms used in the article except those listed under “terms” below. Then click on "A Collection of Hadith in Sahah Bukhari." Each student will read ONE of the following chapters, 23, 34-53,64-74, or 78-86, and discuss it in class. Take notes and turn them in at the beginning of class.
Terms: isnad, Hadith Qudsi, Ibn Ishhaq, al-Bukhari
- 11/28
Religious Learning: The
RR: Egger, pp. 114-122, 302-305; Berkey, pp. 143-151, 216-223.
Terms: sunna, madhabs, fiqh, usul al-fiqh, qiyas, ijma`, five principles, qadi, ulema, al-Shafi’i, ijtihad, mujtahid, taqlid, mazalim.
- 11/30 Religious Learning:
Ritual and Practice AND PAPER
DUE
RR: Egger, pp. 80-83; Film, “The Five Pillars”
Terms: Shahada, Salat, Zakat, Sawm, Hajj, Ramadan, ritual purity
For the paper:
1) Go to http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/quranindex.html,
An Index to the Qur’an, click on ONE
of the following topics related to the Five Pillars: Ablution, Belief, Charity,
Fasting, Hajj, Prayer. Read the ayahs (verses) listed under the
topic. There are only a few verses for
each topic except for charity and prayer, which have many verses listed. For these, you could choose to narrow the
topic: read only the ayahs on “Time
of Prayer,” for example, or “Friday Prayers.”
2) Then go to the homepage of the Muslim
Students' Association at U.S.C., http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah,
scroll down, and click on "A
Collection of Hadith in Sahih Bukhari." Find and read the chapter about the same
topic (Ablutions ch. 4; Belief ch. 2; Charity ch. 24, Fasting ch. 31; Hajj
(Pilgrimage) ch. 26, Prayer ch. 8 and 22, Friday Prayer ch. 13, Time of Prayer
ch. 10). If you read Qur’anic verses related to prayer or
charity, skim different chapters of relevant Hadith to find Hadith on
topics covered in the Qur’an.
3) Write a 3-4 page essay on what you
learned about this pillar from the Qur'an and Hadith and how the passages from Hadith elaborate on and/or complement
material from the Qur'an. Your essay must be drawn primarily from the
primary source texts; be sure to cite passages from the texts that support your
point with parenthetical citations.
26. 12/5 Sufism
RR: Egger, pp. 123-127, 205-206, 308-316; Berkey, p. 152-158
Terms: Hasan al-Basri, Rabi`a, shaykh/pir, al-Junayd,
al-Hallaj, al-Ghazzali, wali, baraka, fana’, baqa’.
- 12/7 Sufi Orders
RR: Egger, pp. 206-214 ; Brown, 157-165, 170-174
Terms: Tariqah, ribat/tekke, murid/dervish, dhikr, stations-states, silsila, al-Qutb, Ibn al-‘Arabi, Jamal al-Din al-Rumi
- 12/12 Review