The Prophet Muhammad and the Beginnings of Islam

4.0 credits

This course will study the life and career of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. We will examine the beginning of Prophet Muhammad’s message in Mecca, the migration to and establishment of the Islamic state in Medina, and the conquest of Mecca. We will seek to understand the social and political background of the Prophet’s message and the impact of that message on his historical context. We will focus on the doctrinal, social, and political positions of the Prophet and their impact on the early beginnings of Islam and later Muslim society. Furthermore, we will analyze the different approaches historians have adopted in interpreting and understanding the life of the prophet.