Contact Info: Office: MND Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1-2:30PM or by appointment Office Telephone:

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1 HRS 145 Introduction to Islamic Culture Spring 2016 Tuesday and Thursday 10:30-11:45AM Mendocino Hall 1020 Professor Harvey Stark Contact Info: Office: MND Office Hours: Tuesdays & Thursdays 1-2:30PM or by appointment Office Telephone: Catalogue Course Description: This course is a survey of the expression of Islamic values in religious practice, philosophy, theology, art, architecture, music, and literature in different geographic locations and historical periods. Further Details: Islamic history spans more than 1400 years, has changed and adapted to various contexts, and now boasts over 1.6 billion followers; it is simultaneously a religion, a culture, and a civilization. Our goal is to examine what culture means in the Islamic context by examining, literature & storytelling and their connection to Islam and the lives of Muslims. Class Structure: Class time will be divided into lecture, discussion, and group work. Lecture will focus on subject matter relevant to the reading, filling in gaps and adding sources as necessary. On occasion I will bring in audio or video to augment our discussion. If there are pressing questions, I encourage you to ask them, and I will do my best to address and clarify them during the course of class. Goals of Class Discussions: Class is an important opportunity to discuss the week s themes and readings. It is a chance for us to think critically and question some of our own assumptions. We will aim at a thoughtful and thought- provoking discussion. As we go through the semester I want you to develop a sense of responsibility for class discussion, making sure it is robust, on- topic and well thought out. We will cover a lot of material each week and you should approach the readings with the goal of allowing certain sources to speak to you, challenge you, and inspire further reflection. Our discussions will be shaped, to a significant degree by the questions and ideas you bring to class. While we will generally stick to the course outline, I may change readings or subject matter to better address your concerns or interests. 1

2 Readings: I have provided you with texts that both tell stories, and build an understanding of Islam and the lives of Muslims. The relaying of stories is an important part of Islam, and I hope that we can replicate some of that experience through the texts I have chosen. While reading an assignment, keep asking: What does the author mean by that, Why should I believe that, so what? These are the same questions that we will be asking in class, and that I will ask when reading your work. When you find something in the readings that seems vulnerable to criticism, try to formulate the criticism precisely, but then try to imagine how the author might want to respond to your question or objection. ** - Please be aware that the reading for any given week may change, and I will inform you of these changes in advance. Class Requirements & Grading: Schedule & Summary Item Percentage of Grade Due Date(s) Reading Reflections 15% See Below Reading Quizzes 15% See Below American Qur an Reflection 2.5% Feb. 10 American Qur an Paper 12.5% Feb. 14 Essay #1 15% Mar. 20 Essay #2 15% Apr. 17 Final Paper 25% May 17 2

3 Class Requirements & Grading: Assignment Details 1) Participation: Although not assigned a percentage, consistent participation can positively affect your grade. In this sense participation, is actively and thoughtfully contributing to the conversation, as well as actively listening and respecting your classmates input. Articulating ideas through participation will help you to formulate ideas and write your essays. 2) Reading Reflections (Bring hard copy to class for discussion and Upload to SacCT by 7PM the day before class) 15%: The five reflections are indicated on the syllabus with an asterisk and the due dates are as follows: Mar. 2, Mar. 14, Apr. 7, Apr. 13, and May 2. They should include a question or reflection about the text for the assigned week (no need to exceed 250 words). To receive a grade of B+ or higher submissions must quote the reading and give page #s. Submissions after 7PM will receive a grade penalty (A to B, B to C, etc.). 3) Reading Quizzes 15%: The five quizzes are indicated on the syllabus with an asterisk. They will be administered at the beginning of class and the dates are as follows: Feb. 18, Feb. 23, Mar. 29, Apr. 19, and Apr. 21. Your lowest quiz grade will be dropped. 4) Birk s American Qur an: Reflection (Bring hard copy to class for discussion and Upload to SacCT by 7PM on Feb. 10; the day before class) and Paper (Due on Feb. 14 by 11:59PM, upload to SacCT) 15%: This is a 2 part assignment: 1) Reflection (2.5%): Choose an image from Birk s American Qur an exhibition at works/ and reflect upon the relationship between the Qur anic verse and the image you ve chosen. The reflection should be at least 250 words and the image should appear at the beginning of your reflection. 2) Paper (12.5%): This is a 2-3 page paper on one or two of Burke s images and how they reflect the exhibition related readings (you may use the image from your reflection). Make sure to quote from the readings and give corresponding page #s. 5) Essay #1, (Due on March 20 by 11:59PM); 15%: This is a 3-5 page essay comparing and contrasting Layla & Majnun and Haroun and the Sea of Stories. Make sure to quote from the readings and give corresponding page #s. 6) Essay #2, (Due on April 11:59PM by Upload to SacCT); 15%: This is a 3-5 page essay comparing and contrasting the ways that either gender or class (choose one) are presented in Adrift on the Nile and the Stories of Alifa Rifaat. Make sure to quote from the readings and give corresponding page #s. 7) Final Paper: A Season in Mecca (Due May 11:59PM by upload to SacCT); 25%: This is a 5-7 page paper discussing what you see as the main theme(s) in Abdellah Hammoudi s book, A Season in Mecca. Make sure to quote from the readings and give corresponding page #s. **Late papers & essays: Unless otherwise indicated, papers and essays turned in after the deadline will lose 1/3 grade (A to A- ; A- to B+; B+ to B, etc.) for each 24- hours they are late. 3

4 Explanation of Grading: All assignments and exams will be given letter grades. The following, partially taken from the CSUS website ( helps to define what each letter means: A - Excellent achievement of the course objectives. In addition to being clearly and significantly above the requirements, work exhibited is of an independent, creative, and contributory nature. B Very Good achievement of the course objectives. The performance is clearly and significantly above the satisfactory fulfillment of course requirements. C - Satisfactory achievement of the course objectives. A C shows evidence of effort, but only modest success in meeting the course expectations. D - Unsatisfactory achievement of course objectives, yet achievement of a sufficient proportion of the objectives so that it is not necessary to repeat the course unless required to do so by the academic department. A D is minimally acceptable in the sense that it barely counts as a completion F - Unsatisfactory achievement of course objectives to an extent that the student must repeat the course to receive credit. Plus - Shows effort and achievement that goes somewhat beyond the standards expressed above for each letter category. Minus - Shows effort and achievement that is somewhat below the standards expressed for each letter category. Statement on Academic Integrity Plagiarism and academic dishonesty constitute serious offenses that undermine your education and violate Sacramento State s policy on academic integrity and may result in penalties ranging from a lowered grade to course failure. All work submitted in this class must be your own, and must be completed specifically for this class. You may not turn in work previously written for another class. Any use of another s work without proper attribution constitutes plagiarism. Plagiarism ranges from copying someone else s work word for word, to rewriting someone else s work with only minor word changes (mosaic plagiarism), to summarizing work without acknowledging the source. For more information see the library s page on plagiarism: ( 4

5 Expectations: Attendance: An attendance sheet will be circulated at every class. Excessive absence or lateness will seriously lower your grade. Departmental Policy states that more than one week of absences from class will result in the lowering of the student s grade one- half step per each additional absence. Leaving early for an appointment will count as an unexcused absence. Each two times you are late will count as one absence. Preparation: Being prepared means you have read and taken notes on all of the week s required reading assignments, have arrived to class with all of the relevant texts, and have brought questions and ideas to class that are important to you, prepared to discuss a range of issues. Laptops & Cell Phones: Laptops and cell phones are not allowed during class. We should be listening and commenting, keeping a good focus on the direction of the conversation. As we all know, laptops and cell phones can be a serious means of distraction for you and those around you. Unless otherwise instructed, using cellphones in class will result in your being asked to leave the classroom. If you are using an e- book, e- readers are allowed during class discussion. Otherwise you should have hard copies of all readings with you in class. Office Hours: Outside of our weekly class sessions, I will be available to address any questions, concerns or suggestions you have by e- mail and during office hours (it is best to make an appointment). I will do my best to respond to your e- mails within 24 hours on weekdays. I will typically respond to weekend s on Mondays. I encourage you to meet with me to discuss questions you might have about the course material or your broader interests. Accommodations for Recognized Disabilities: I will make every effort to accommodate your needs as they apply to the above policies. Please come see me in the event that you will need special accommodation so that we can figure out an acceptable solution. I m looking forward to a rich and rewarding semester! 5

6 Books: Naguib Mahfouz, Adrift on the Nile, Anchor Books, Naguib Mahfouz ( ) was an Egyptian writer who won the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature. He is regarded as one of the most important Egyptian writers of the 20 th century. He published 34 novels, over 350 short stories, dozens of movie scripts, and five plays over a 70- year career. Adrift on the Nile is set in the Egypt of , during the leadership of President Nasser; a time of great social change. It is a story of how the middle- aged and middle- class sons and daughters of the old bourgeoisie find themselves trying to recreate the cozy, enchanted world they so dearly miss. Nizami Ganjavi, The Story of Layla & Majnun. New Lebanon, NY: Omega Publications, Layla wa Majnun written in the twelfth century by the Persian poet and thinker Nizami is a Persian adaptation of an short poem of Arabic origin. Nizami s version consists of 4,600 distiches (a pair of verse lines) and retells the story of two ill- fated lovers, Layla and Majnun. For Sufis the story is an allegory of mystical love. Nizami Ganjavi (1141 to 1209), top, is formally known as Jamal ad- Dīn Abū Muḥammad Ilyās ibn- Yūsuf ibn- Zakkī. Nizami was primarily a poet, but was also well versed in mysticism and scholarship, including Qur an, philosophy, law, medicine, and Iranian and Islamic history, which he bridged culturally and civilizationally. Rudolf Gelpke (bottom) ( ) was an Islamic scholar of Swiss nationality. After receiving his doctorate in Islamic studies from the University of Basel in 1957, Gelpke held positions at the University of Teheran and the University of Bern, and was for a year (September 1962 to May 1963) an Associate Professor at UCLA. Abdellah Hammoudi, A Season in Mecca, Hill & Wang Abdellah Hammoudi, born in Morocco and trained in Paris, is a Professor of Anthropology at Princeton University. In 1999 he decided to go on the pilgrimage to Mecca. In A Season in Mecca, Hammoudi recounts his pilgrimage in He performs hajj as an anthropologist and pilgrim, writing about it for both Muslims and non- Muslims. 6

7 Alifa Rifaat, Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories, Waveland Press, Fatimah Rifaat (June 5, 1930 January 1996), better known by her pen name Alifa Rifaat, was an Egyptian author whose controversial short stories are renowned for their depictions of the dynamics of female sexuality, relationships, and loss in rural Egyptian culture. While taking on such controversial subjects, Fatimah Rifaat s protagonists remained religiously faithful with passive feelings towards their fate. Her stories depict the problems inherent in a patriarchal society. Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Granta Books, Salman Rushdie, is a British Indian novelist and essayist. His second novel, Midnight's Children (1981), won the Booker Prize in Much of his fiction is set on the Indian subcontinent. His work is concerned with the many connections, disruptions, and migrations between Eastern and Western civilizations. His novel, The Satanic Verses, sparked controversy when in 1989 Ayatollah Khomeini, the leader of Iran, issued a fatwa calling for his assassination. Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a children's fantasy novel that deals with the power of speech and the beauty of story telling. 7

8 Course Outline Week 1: Introduction Jan. 26 Introductions Jan. 28 Reading: See Blackboard for: Marshall G.S. Hodgson, The Venture of Islam, Allen, Roger, and Shawkat M. Toorawa, ed. Islam: A Short Guide to the Faith, 3-17 Week 2: Islam, Religion, & Story Telling Feb. 2: The Night Ascension (Isra wa Miraj) - Rippin, Andrew and Jan Knappert, ed. Textual Sources for the Study of Islam, Secondary sources for the Night Journey Feb. 4: The End of Days - Rippin, Andrew and Jan Knappert, ed. Textual Sources for the Study of Islam, Secondary sources for the End of Days Week 3: Qur an as Culture and Religious Text Feb. 9 - Allen, Roger, and Shawkat M. Toorawa, ed. Islam: A Short Guide to the Faith, Sardar, Ziauddin, Reading the Qur an, *Feb. 11 (Reflection Due on Feb. 7PM) Birk, An American Qur an works/ *Reflection due by upload to SacCT on Feb. 10 by 7PM: Bring hard copy to class for discussion. Description: Choose an image from Birk s American Qur an exhibition at works/ and reflect upon the relationship between the Qur anic verse and the image you ve chosen. The reflection should be at least 250 words and the image should appear at the beginning of your reflection. *Sandow Birk Paper: Upload to SacCT by Feb 11:59PM* 8

9 Week 4: Post- 9/11 American Islam Feb Moustafa Bayoumi, How Does it Feel to Be a Problem? Being Young and Arab in America, 1-2 & *Feb. 18: Reading Quiz #1 first part of class - Jose Casanova in Secularism Religion and Multicultural Citizenship, Week 5: Sufism & Literature *Feb. 23 Reading Quiz #2 first part of class - Reza Aslan, No God But God, Feb Nizami Ganjavi, The Story of Layla & Majnun, xi- 46. Week 6: Sufism Continued Mar. 1 Nizami Ganjavi, The Story of Layla & Majnun, *Mar. 3 Reflection #1- due by 7pm the day before class late reflections not accepted Nizami Ganjavi, The Story of Layla & Majnun, Week 7: Subcontinental Story Telling Mar. 8 - Khan, Dominique- Sila. Crossing the Threshold: Understanding Religious Identities in South Asia. London, England: I.B. Taurus Publishers, 2004, Peter Gottschalk, The Problem of Defining Islam in Arampur - Ali Jinnah, Presidential Address to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan, Karachi, 11th August 1947 Mar Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Salman Rushdie, Imaginary Homelands,

10 Week 8: Subcontinental Story Telling (Continued) *Mar. 15 Reflection #2- due by 7pm the day before class late reflections not accepted - Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Mar Salman Rushdie, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, * Essay #1 : Upload to SacCT by 1159PM* Week 9: Spring Break (No Class March 22 & 24) Week 10: Gender *Mar. 29 Reading Quiz #3 first part of class - Amina Wadud, Inside the Gender Jihad: Women s Reform in Islam, Mar.31 No class in observance of Cesar Chavez s Birthday Week 11: Gender in Egypt Apr. 5 - Alifa Rifaat, Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories, vii- ix & 1-59 *Apr. 8 Reflection #3- due by 7pm the day before class late reflections not accepted - Alifa Rifaat, Distant View of a Minaret and Other Stories, Week 12: Issues of Class & Nation in Egypt Apr Naguib Mahfouz, Adrift on the Nile, 1-69 *Apr. 14 Reflection #45 - due by 7pm the day before class late reflections not accepted Naguib Mahfouz, Adrift on the Nile, *Essay #2: Upload to SacCT by Apr. 11:59PM on 10

11 Week 13: Hajj the Ultimate Journey *Apr. 19 Reading Quiz # 4 first part of class - Venetia Porter, Hajj: Journey to the Heart of Islam - Vincent Cornell, Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in The Oxford History of Islam, *Apr. 21: Reading Quiz# 5 first part of class - Introductory reading to African American Islam - TBA - Autobiography of Malcolm X, Week 14: One Man s Hajj Apr. 26: - Hammoudi, Abdellah, A Season in Mecca, 3-66 April 28: - Hammoudi, Abdellah, A Season in Mecca, Week 15: One Man s Hajj *May 3: Reflection #5 - due by 7pm the day before class late reflections not accepted - Hammoudi, Abdellah, A Season in Mecca, May 5: - Hammoudi, Abdellah, A Season in Mecca, Week 16: May 10 Review and wrap- up May 12 Review and wrap- up *Final Paper: Upload to SacCT by May 11:59PM* 11