Classical Islam

3 credits · Undergraduate

(3 hrs Lecture) This course focuses on the religious tradition of Islam from its inception through the medieval period. The message and the style of the Qur'an are examined, and Muhammad's life and experience as a prophet are traced. The fundamental beliefs and major practices of Islam are critically explored. The course also examines the emergence of religious, political and legal institutions in the early centuries of Islam. In addition, attention is given to theological, philosophical and mystical interpreters of Islamic ethos, with particular reference to specific scholarly interpretations from different regions of the Islamic world.