Islam 2, Fall 2000, Syllabus

Monday, Aug 28th: First Day of Classes. Note: As we are expecting the birth of our daughter, there is a good chance that I might not be present on this day! If insha'allah I am in the class, go over the syllabus.

p.s. No paper version of the syllabus will be handed out, and I will count on you checking with this web page to get the readings.

The journey to God's presence:
pilgrimage narratives

Wednesday, August 30
Begin reading: Wolfe, The Hadj, xi-81

Friday, Sept 01
Wolfe, The Hadj, 82-150

Monday, September 4th:
Wolfe, The Hadj, 153-247

Wednesday, September 6th:
Wolfe, The Hadj, 248-316

The foundations
of Islamic thought and practice

Friday, September 8th:
Chittick, The Vision of Islam, ix-44.
Music: Kudsi Erguner, Sufi Music of Turkey. (Ney)

Monday, September 11th:
Chittick, The Vision of Islam, 35-132

Wednesday, September 13th:
Chittick, The Vision of Islam, 132-192
Music: "Ay Muhammad", by the Bauls of Bengal.

Friday, Septebember 15th:
Chittick, The Vision of Islam, 193-235

Approaching the Qur'an:

The sound and the mystery of revelation:

Monday, September 18th:

Sells, Approaching the Qur'an, browse 1-31; carefully 35-63

Wednesday, September 20th

Sells, Approaching the Qur'an 64-117

Friday, September 22nd:

Sells, Approaching the Qur'an, 118-180.

Monday, September 25th: Vincent Cornell, “Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge”, OHI, 63-105

Continuous Guidance:

narratives of Messengers in the Qur'an

Wednesday, September 27th: Narratives on Adam and Eve

Friday, September 29th: Narratives on Noah and Abraham

Monday, October 2nd: Narratives on Joseph and Moses

Wednesday, October 4th: Narratives on Jesus and Mary

Friday, October 6th: No class, Omid at Amherst

Monday October 9th; no class. (Mid-Term Recess; Yom Kippur)

Blessed Life of the Prophet Muhammad

Wednesday, October 11th: Lings, 1-87.
Music: Music: "Ya Sahib al-Jamal", by Sabri Brothers

[Before starting, spend some time with the chart on p. 347,
and “A Note on the Pronunciation of Arabic Names” on p. 348.

Friday, October 13th: Lings, 88-152
Music: "Wa salla Allahuu 'ala nurin", by Qari Wahid Zaffar Qasm

Hadith examples: www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah

www.cco.caltech.edu/~calmsa/sahih.html

Monday, October 16th: Lings, 152-246.
"Namidanam koja budam", by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Tuesday October 17th: 7 p.m.
Guest Lecture by Dr. Stephen Hirtenstein,
105 Lawrence Hall (Ho lecture Room)
topic: Islamic Mysticism
Attendance mandatory.

Wednesday, October 18th: Lings, 247-345.

Friday, October 20th: Donner: “Muhammad and the Caliphate”, OHI, 1-62.
Music: "Man kunto maula", by Mehr Ali and Sher Ali

Dimensions of Islamic Thought:
Law, philosophy, and aesthetics

Monday, October 23rd:
Islamic Law: Mohammad Kamali, “Law and Society”, OHI, 107-154.

Wednesday, October 25th:
Islamic Art: Blair and Bloom, OHI, p. 267
http://isfahan.anglia.ac.uk:8200/

Wednesday October 25th
Guest lecture by Dr. Sara Wolper
7 pm, Persson Aud.
Your presence is mandatory. Dinner will be served before.

Friday, October 27th:
Islamic Philosophy and Theology: Fakhry, OHI, 269-305.
interlude: Islamic humor at
http://Fox.nstn.ca:80/~ihussain/Humor.html

Tasawwuf

Tthe Sufi dimension of Islam:
To be at ease with God.

Monday, October 30th:
Islamic Mysticism: Ernst, Shambhala Guide, 1-57

Wednesday, Nov 01:
Ernst, Shambhala Guide, 58-119.

Friday, November 3rd:
Ernst, Shambhala Guide, tba.
Music: "Namidanam koja budam", by Sabri Brothers.

Monday, November 6th:

*Go to the web page presented by Muslim Women’s League ,
and read their "position papers" on these issues:
Hijab, perspective on sexuality, and issues of concern

*under "Essays", read the "spiritual role" of women material.

*Look up all material dealing with women in the Reliance of the Traveller.
come to class prepared to discuss this.

Tuesday, November 7th:
Your presence is asked at a lecture by yours truly, titled
"Bargaining with Saints: Persian Sufis, politics, and Western Scholars."
4 p.m., 105 Lawrence Hall (Ho Lecture Room)

Wednesday, November 8th,
(no class, due to last night's lecture, but do read over these web pages)

For a sense of American Muslim women activists present themselves, see:
"Challenges and Opportunities Facing American Muslim Women",
presented by Karamah: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights;
at NGO Forum, United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women
(Huairou, China; September 7, 1995).
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/7368/muslimdv_sign.htm

Helminski, "Sexuality, Marriage, and the Sacred: An Islamic Sufi Persp." [reserve]
(will be handed out)

Islamic Literatures:

Farid al-Din 'Attar's Mantiq al-Tayr

(Conference of Birds).

Friday, November 11th:
Attar, Conference of the Birds, "Introduction", plus 1-57.
(up to The Story of Sheikh Sam'an)

If you feel like you need some more background, I recommend
Ernst, Shambhala Guide,: 147-179

Monday, Nov13th ;
Attar, Conference of the Birds, 57-139.

Wednesday, Nov. 15th
Attar, Conference of the Birds, 140-end.

Friday, November 17th:
.Film in class, Islam in America.

Islam and Europe:

Monday, November 20th (no class, Omid at AAR):

Read: Jane I. Smith, “Islam and Christendom”, OHI, 305-346.

Issues: Religious polemics, "exotification", "self and other"

November 22-26 W-Sun Thanksgiving Recess , start reading Mantle of the Prophet, as much as you can, at least 1-100...

The re-emergence of (Shi'i) Islam
in the Modern World

Monday, November 27th:
In class discussion: Conference of the Birds.

Read:
Mottahedeh, Mantle of the Prophet , pp. 101-133..
http://www.al-islam.org/organizations/dilp
www.al-islam.org/encyclopedia/newindex.html

Wednesday, November 29th
W Mottahedeh, Mantle of the Prophet , pp. 134-268.
Music: "Ya Husayn", by Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Friday, Dec. 1st
Mottahedeh, Mantle of the Prophet , pp. 269-399.
www.shia.org/
Film: Either O Deer Savior or a film about Ta'ziya.

Islam in the Contemporary World:

Religion, Post-colonialism, and Modernity

Monday, December 4th
SET forms:
Try to finish reading the Mantle of the Prophet..

Wedensday, December 6th
Reading: S.V.R. Nasr, “European Colonialism
& the Emergence of Modern Muslim States”,
OHI, 549-599.

Friday, December 8th (Last Day of Classes):
many sad tears....
Yvonne Haddad, “Globalization of Islam”, OHI, 601-642.

Final exams are due to the religion office in Hascall Hall, no later than 5 p.m., on Thursday December 14th. Hand the papers to our saintly secretary, Ellen. They must be typed, stapled, with your name on top. They should also feature page numbers at the bottom. No late papers will be accepted.