Intro to Islam

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

This course provides a comprehensive introduction to Islam. It introduces students to key concepts and themes in the Islamic tradition and examines the socio-cultural and political contexts in which Islamic faith, worship, and spirituality emerged and developed. The course is, therefore, chronological as it follows the development of Islamic tradition(s) from its inception to the present day, with an introduction to pre-Islamic Arabia and the Near East. It is also thematic in that it focuses on major Islamic beliefs and practices and how they have been lived and debated throughout the ages. Some topics – such as monotheism, the purpose of worship, Muslim attitude towards other religions and cultures, and the diverse interpretations of the prophetic legacy – will stay with us as we survey the major periods of Islamic history. But we will equally explore other legal, spiritual, and theological issues that Muslims have faced and debated at specific moments of their history such as the rise of the nation-state, colonialism, globalization, women and gender issues, social justice, and so forth. In light of the recent, and still ongoing, pandemic experience, we will also pay some attention to the effects of plagues and other natural phenomena on the development of Islamic tradition(s). To meet the objectives of this course, we will be reading and viewing a wide range of materials from both primary and secondary sources. While this course focuses on Islam, it will enable students to develop analytical and critical skills to understand and discuss the nature, place, and development of religious traditions in relation to their sociopolitical and cultural contexts, both in the past and the present.