Introduction to Islam Instructor: Kamran Scot Aghaie

Transcription

1 Introduction to Islam Instructor: Kamran Scot Aghaie Course Number: ISL 310; HIST 306N (Topic 7); RS 319; MES 310 (Topic 1) Class Room & Time: MEZ T. & Th. 2:00-3:30 PM Office Hours: WMB 6.102D T. & Th. 12:00-1:30 PM Phone: (512) The course website will be on Blackboard Teaching Assistants: James Casey and Lauren Baker TA Office Hours: FAC 27 TBA TA Address: Course Description: This course provides an introduction to the religion of Islam. It is designed for students with a general interest in the Islamic world, in religion, or in History. We will examine the theology, history, and main social and legal institutions of Islam. Islam, as a major system of belief in the world, is experienced by Muslims and non-muslims alike. Consequently, besides studying the basic tenets and texts of the religion, this course will focus on the variety of ways in which Muslims and non-muslims have understood and interpreted Islam. We will review the debates surrounding the life of the prophet of Islam, Islamic pre-modern and modern history, the Islamic concept of God and society, the role of women, and finally, Islamic government and movements. The course is designed for students with a general interest in the Islamic world, religions, or history. No prior knowledge of Islam or Islamic history is necessary. Requirements: Weekly reading assignments, short quizzes, a midterm, and a final exam. Students must complete all the reading assignments and participate in class. Prerequisites: None Grading: Attendance 25% Seven short quizzes (drop the lowest grade) 25% Midterm 25% Final Exam (offered on two dates) 25% Textbooks: Fazlur Rahman. Islam. F. M. Denny. An Introduction to Islam. F. E. Peters. A Reader on Classical Islam N. J. Dawood. The Koran. (or any other Qur an translation) Ira Lapidus. A History of Islamic Societies.

2 MISCELLANIOUS COURSE POLICIES -Students must complete all readings prior to the class session for which they are assigned. -Materials on the website are only for use by the students in this class. Distribution or dissemination of any sort is not allowed. -Any Tech. devices that students bring to class must be turned off and put away during the class session. This includes computers, PDAs, cameras, audio or video recorders, cel phones, ipods, etc. The same applies to outside reading materials. Note: The University of Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of the Dean of Students at GRADING POLICIES -Attendance will be taken at random times during class on randomly selected days, beginning after the last day to add the course. Any students who are absent at the moment when the attendance is taken will be counted as absent for that particular class session. -Quizzes cover reading materials assigned for that week, not lectures or outsides materials. -The midterm and final are essay exams, 1 hour and 15 minutes in length. Students must bring large-size bluebooks for the exam. A study sheet of questions will be available on the web site prior to the exams. Grades for the essay exams will be assigned based on the grading rubric provided below. -Students have two choices for taking the final exam. The first option is the last class session and the second option is the regularly scheduled final exam time. Students will sign up for one or the other toward the end of the term. -Plus and minus grades will be assigned as follows. All numbers that involve decimals will be rounded up or down; for example, an 85.4 is an 85, and an 85.5 is an 86. F D- D D+ C- C C+ B- B B+ A- A Any student who feels that there may have been a mistake in the grading of his or her exam may submit it to be re-graded. In such cases the original grade will be erased and the paper will be re-graded using the same standards as the first time. Whatever the new grade is will be recorded in place of the original grade (whether it is higher, lower, or the same). Also, since the grading process must remain objective, students cannot be included in, nor can they directly influence, the grading process. Therefore, this option is available to any student as long as he or she has not discussed the content of the exam or the details of the grade with the TA or the instructor.

3 GRADING RUBRIC FOR ESSAY EXAM QUESTIONS: The Superior Essay (A) Question is answered directly, clearly and thoroughly. Thesis: Easily identifiable, plausible, novel, sophisticated, insightful, crystal clear. Structure: Evident, understandable, appropriate for thesis. Excellent transitions from point to point. Paragraphs support solid topic sentences. Evidence: Information used to buttress every point with at least one example. Examples support mini-thesis and fit within paragraph. Logic and argumentation: All ideas in the paper flow logically; the argument is identifiable, reasonable, and sound. The Good Essay (B) Thesis: Promising, but slightly unclear, or lacking in insight. Structure: Generally clear and appropriate, though may wander occasionally. May have a few unclear transitions, or a few paragraphs without strong topic sentences. Use of evidence: Examples used to support most points. Some evidence does not support point, or may appear where inappropriate. Analysis: Evidence often related to mini-thesis, though links perhaps not very clear. Logic and argumentation: Argument of answer is clear, usually flows logically and makes sense. The Borderline Essay (C) The essay does not adequately address the question asked on the exam. Thesis: May be unclear (contain many vague terms); provides little around which to structure the paper. Structure: Generally unclear, often wanders or jumps around. Few or weak transitions, many paragraphs without topic sentences. Use of evidence: Examples used to support some points. Points often lack supporting evidence, or evidence used where inappropriate (often because there may be no clear point). Logic and argumentation: Logic may often fail or be unclear. The "Needs Serious Help" Essay (D) Does not address the question at all. (or) Thesis: Difficult to identify at all, may be bland restatement of obvious point. Structure: Unclear, often because thesis is weak or nonexistent. Transitions confusing and unclear. Few topic sentences. Use of evidence: Very few or very weak examples. General failure to support statements, or evidence seems to support no statement. Analysis: Very little or very weak attempt to relate evidence to argument; may be no identifiable argument, or no evidence to relate it to. Logic and argumentation: Ideas do not flow at all, usually because there is no argument to support. Simplistic view of topic. The Failing Essay (F) Shows obviously minimal lack of effort or comprehension of the assignment. Very difficult to understand owing to major problems with mechanics, structure, and analysis. Has no identifiable thesis, or utterly incompetent thesis.

4 WEEKLY SCHEDULE: WEEK ONE Introduction to the Course, Syllabus & policies January Denny, Chapter 1 Lapidus, Chapters 1 WEEK TWO The Message and the Messenger January Rahman, Chapter 1 Denny, Chapters 2 Peters, Chapter 2 Lapidus, Chapter 2 WEEK THREE-FOUR The Qur an and the Traditions (Sunna) February 1-10 Denny, Chapters 6-7 (Quiz 1, Feb. 8) Rahman, Chapter 2-3 Peters, Chapter 4, pp Dawood, p. 9; pp ; pp (Surahs 1, 12, ) WEEK FIVE The Early Muslim Community February Denny, Chapter 3 (Quiz 2, Feb. 15) Peters Chapter 3 WEEK SIX Islamic Empire February Denny, Chapter 4 (Quiz 3, Feb. 22) Lapidus, Chapters 3-5 WEEK SEVEN-EIGHT Sunni Orthodoxy & Sectarian Debates March 1-10 Rahman, Chapter 5, 10 (Quiz 4, March 8) Denny, Chapter 8, 10, 11 Peters, Chapter 7, 8 Lapidus, Chapters 8-12 SPRING BREAK March No Class MIDTERM EXAM In MEZ March 22 WEEK NINE-TEN Popular Beliefs and Ritual Practices March Denny, Chapter 5, 12, 13 (Quiz 5, March 29) Peters, Chapter 6 Rahman, Chapter 8, 9, 11 WEEK ELEVEN Islamic Orthodoxy, Law & the State April 5-7 Rahman, Chapters 4 & 6 (Quiz 6, April 5) Denny, Chapter 9 Peters, pp Dawood, pp (Surah 4) Lapidus, Chapter 6, 7

5 WEEK TWELVE-THIRTEEN Late Islamic Empires; Colonialism & Response April Rahman, Chapter 12 (Quiz 7, April 19) Denny, Chapter 14 Lapidus, pp , , Ch WEEK FOURTEEN Revivalism, Fundamentalism and Modernism April Denny, Chapter 15 Rahman, Chapter WEEK FIFTEEN Revivalism, Fundamentalism and Modernism May 3 Lapidus, Chapters 25, 27, 30 and pp FINAL EXAM TIMES: Date Time Room Option A: May 5 (Thur.) 2:00-3:30 PM MEZ Option B: May 11 (Wed.) 2:00-3:15 PM TBA