Faculty of Education and Arts School of Humanities & Social Science http://www.newcastle.edu.au/school/hss/ Newcastle Campus University Drive, Callaghan 2308 Room: MC127 McMullin Building Phone: 4921 5213 Office hours: 9:00am 5:00pm Fax: +61 4921 6933 Email: Humanities-SocialScience@newcastle.edu.au Web: http://www.newcastle.edu.au/school/hss/ RELI3000 - Islam: History, Theology and Culture Course Outline Semester: Semester 1-2008 Unit Weighting: 10 Teaching Methods: Lecture/Tutorial Course Co-ordinator: Dr Colin Wilks Room: MC107 Ph: 4921 5192 Email: Colin.Wilks@newcastle.edu.au Lecturer: Mehmet Ozalp Ph: 9702 0789 Email: mozalp@affinity.org.au Brief Course Description Examines the theological and socio-political history of Islam (from its emergence in the 7th Century to its 19th century encounter with modern western society) and focuses, in particular, upon the emergence of the Qur an, Hadith and basic teachings of Islam; the problems arising from Islam's rapid geo-political expansion during the and 7th and 8th centuries, its political institutions (the Caliphate), internal differentiation (the Sunni-Shia divide and Sufism); its synergistic encounter with Greek philosophy and science; the development of Sharia law and its system of jurisprudence (Fiqh); and the rich diversity of its theological traditions and cultural expressions. Course Objectives The course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of Islam and its interwoven socio-political and theological histories, and, in particular, the socio-political ramifications of its rapid geo-political expansion during the 7th and 8th centuries, the theological ramifications of the 'exotic' ideas it absorbed in the course of this expansion, and the theological means by which these ramifications were subsequently reconciled with the fundamental tenets of Islamic orthodoxy. Course Content Course Outline Issued and Correct as at: Week 1, Semester 1-2008 CTS Download Date: 7 February 2008
2 The theological and socio-political history of Islam (from its emergence in the 7th Century to its 19th century encounter with modern, as opposed to medieval, western society); the Qur an, Hadith, basic teachings and practices of Islam; problems arising from Islam's geo-political expansion, political institutions (the Caliphate), internal differentiation (the Sunni-Shia divide and Sufism); its encounter with Greek philosophy and science; the development of its systems of law (Sharia) and jurisprudence (Fiqh); and the rich and complex diversity of its theological traditions and multi-cultural expressions. Assumed Knowledge Nil Studentmail and Blackboard: Refer - www.blackboard.newcastle.edu.au/ This course uses Blackboard and studentmail to contact students, so you are advised to keep your email accounts within the quota to ensure you receive essential messages. To receive an expedited response to queries, post questions on the Blackboard discussion forum if there is one, or if emailing staff directly use the course code in the subject line of your email. Students are advised to check their studentmail and the course Blackboard site on a weekly basis. Further Information Details about the following topics are available on your course Blackboard site (where relevant). Refer - www.blackboard.newcastle.edu.au/ Written Assignment Presentation and Submission Details Online copy submission to Turnitin Penalties for Late Assignments Special Circumstances No Assignment Re-submission Re-marks & Moderations Return of Assignments Preferred Referencing Style Student Representatives Student Communication Essential Online Information for Students Timetable Lecture: Thursday 11:00 1:00pm in V107 Tutorial: Thursday 1:00 2:00pm in MC102
3 Summary of Assessment Items, Word Lengths, Weightings and Due Dates Assessment Item Word Length Weighting Due Date 1 Essay 1500 words 30% April 10 2 Take-Home Exam 2500 words 50% To be announced 3 Tutorial Presentation and Paper 1000 words 20% To be scheduled throughout the term Essay The essay covers the history component of the course (weeks 1-5). The questions are as follows: 1. Outline the extent of the Muslim conquests in the first 100 years (until 750 CE) of Islamic History. Discuss the main factors for the permanence of these conquests and how they shaped world history. 2. What are the impact of the Crusades and Mongol invasion on the Muslim world and Islamic history? (What has happened? Why did it happen? What were the important immediate and long-term outcomes?) 3. What were the main internal and external factors that led to the decline of the Muslim world in the post 16 th century era? Take Home Exam The take-home exam covers the course content for weeks 5-13 and requires students to answer one question dealing with the content for weeks 6-10 and one question dealing with the content for weeks 11-14. More specific details about the manner and style in which these questions are to be answered will be made available in Week 13 of semester. Tutorial Presentation and Paper Students will present a tutorial paper on a topic chosen from a list of topics that will be made available in the first tutorial in Week 2 of the course. The tutorial presentation-paper grade will be based on evidence of reading and research effort; answering the question; evidence of critical thinking; presentation and delivery; points of discussion and time management. The presentation paper will be submitted the week following the week in which the presentation is delivered. The following table gives more detailed information regarding the assessment criteria for presentations.
4 Criteria Description Mark Allocation Evidence of Reading/Rese arch Effort Answering the Question(s) Evidence of Critical Thinking Presentation and Delivery Points of Discussion Was there evidence that you at least read the required reading, that is put some effort into getting the information necessary to answer the question(s)? (Four (4) marks also include evidence of preparation and research in the form of a 1,000 word written paper) Did you answer the question(s)? Did you identify clear arguments? Did you reach conclusions on the arguments? Was there evidence that you tried to examine the underlying assumptions and evidence in support of the authors make. Or did you just merely give a summary of the points made in the readings? Did your presentation flow well? Was it structured in a logical order? Was it clear and not confusing? Did it engage the audience? Did you identify at least two specific points for discussion. 6 marks 2 marks 4 marks 3 marks 3 marks Time The tutorial Presentation should be for 10-13 minutes. 2 marks TOTAL 20 marks Course Reading There are four initial readings for Weeks 1-3 that can be accessed electronically through Short Loans. Further weekly readings will be made electronically available as the course progresses. A collection of more general references (some of which have been placed on Short or 3-Day Loan) is listed below: Abdul Rauf, Imam Feisal, What s Right with Islam is What s Right with America (2005) New York: HarperCollins. Abou el Fadl, Khaled, Islam and the Challenge of Democracy (2004) Princeton: Princeton University Press. Abou el Fadl, Khaled, Speaking in God s Name: Islamic Law, Authority and Women (2003) Oxford: Oneworld Publications. Abou el Fadl, Khaled, Rebellion and Violence in Islamic Law (2001) Cambridge: CUP. Abou el Fadl, Khaled, The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists (2005) NY: HarperCollins. Abu-Rabi, Ibrahim, (ed) Islam at the Crossroads: On the Life and Thought of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (2003) Albany: State University of New York Press. Ahmed, Leila, Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate (1993) New Haven: Yale University Press. Al-Azami, Muhammad M., The History of Qur anic Text from Revelation to Compilation (2003) Leicester: UK Islamic Academy. Aly, Waleed, People Like Us: How Arrogance is Dividing Islam and the West (2007) Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia. Armstrong, Karen, Islam: A Short History (2001) Great Britain: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Armstrong, Karen, The Battle for God: Fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (2004) London: Harper Perennial. Bennett, Clinton, Muslims and Modernity (2005) New York: Continuum. Bulliet, Richard W., The Case for Islamo-Christian Civilisation (2004) New York: Columbia University Press. Bonney, Richard, Jihad from Qur an to Bin Laden (2004) London: Palgrave Macmillan.
Bullock, Katherine, Rethinking Muslim Women and the Veil (2003) Herndon: The International Institute of Islamic Thought. Emerick, Yahiya, Muhammad (2002) United States: Marie Butler-Knight. Esack, Farid, The Qur an: A Short Introduction (2002) Oxford: Oneworld Publications. Esposito, John L., Islam: The Straight Path (2004) New York: Oxford University Press. Esposito, John L., The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality (1999) New York: Oxford University Press. Gulen, M. Fethullah, Key Concepts in the Practice of Sufism Vol-1 & Vol-2 (1999) New Jersey: The Light Publishing. Gulen, M. Fethullah, The Messenger of God: Muhammad (2005) New Jersey: The Light Publishing. Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck, Muslims in the West: From Sojourners to Citizens (2002) New York: OUP. Hallaq, Wael B., The Origins and Evolution of Islamic Law (2005) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Hashim Kamali, Mohammad, Principles of Islamic Jurisprudence (2003) Cambridge: The Islamic Texts Society. Hathout, Maher, In Pursuit of Justice: The Jurisprudence of Human Rights in Islam (2006) Los Angeles: Muslim Public Affairs Council. Karabell, Zachary, People of the Book: The Forgotten History of Islam and the West (2007) Great Britain: John Murray. Kennedy, Hugh, The Great Arab Conquests: How the Spread of Islam Changed the World We Live in (2007) London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. Lapidus, Ira M., A History of Islamic Societies (1988) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Leaman, Oliver, An Introduction to Islamic Philosophy (2002) Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Lewis, David L., God s Crucible: Islam and the Making of Europe 570-1215 (2008) New York: W.W. Norton. Lombard, Maurice, The Golden Age of Islam (2004) Princeton: Marcus Weiner Publishers. Nursi, Bediuzzaman Said, The Letters: Epistles on Islamic Thought, Belief and Life (2006) New Jersey: The Light Publishing. Nursi, Bediuzzaman Said, The Words: Reconstruction of Islamic Belief and Thought (2005) New Jersey: The Light Publishing. Oren, Michael B., Power, Faith and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present (2007) New York: W. W. Norton & Company. Ozalp, Mehmet, 101 Questions You Asked About Islam (2004) Blackheath: Brandl & Schlesinger. Ozalp, Mehmet, Islam in the Modern World (2004) Istanbul: Journalists and Writers Foundation Publications. Ramadan, Tariq, To Be A European Muslim: A Study of Islamic Sources in the European Context (1999) Leicester: The Islamic Foundation. Ramadan, Tariq, The Messenger: The Meanings of the Life of Muhammad (2007) London: Allen Lane. Roald, Anne Sofie, Women in Islam: The Western Experience (2001) London: Routledge Robinson, Francis (ed), Cambridge Illustrated History Islamic World (2002) Cambridge: Laurence King Publishing Rogerson, Barnaby, The Heirs of the Prophet Muhammad and the Roots of the Sunni-Shia Schism (2006) London: Little, Brown. Roy, Olivier, Globalised Islam: The Search for a New Ummah (2004) New York: Columbia University Press. Saeed, Abdullah, Islam in Australia (2003) Sydney: Allen & Unwin. Sherif, Faruq, A Guide to the Contents of the Qur an (1995) United Kingdom: Garnet Publishing Limited. Unal, Ali, The Qur an With Annotated Interpretation in Modern English (2007) New Jersey: The Light Publishing. Watt, Montgomery, Islamic Philosophy and Theology (1985) Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. 5
6 Vahide, Sukran, Islam in Modern Turkey: An Intellectual Biography of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (2005) Albany: State University of New York Press. Yusuf, Hamza (Tr), The Creed of Imam Al-Tahawi (2007) United States: Zaytuna Institute RELI3000, 2008: Schedule of Lecture Topics DATE LECTURE TOPIC 1 Feb 21 INTRODUCTION Reading: Armstrong, K., Chapter 1 of Islam: A Short History 2 Feb 28 THE RISE OF ISLAM 620-700 Reading: Lapidus, I., The Arab Conquests and the Socio-Economic Basis of Empire and The Caliphate, Chs. 3 and 4 of A History of Islamic Societies Kennedy, Hugh, Ch. 1 of The Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates 3 Mar 6 THE RISE OF ISLAM 700-1000 Reading: Lapidus, I. Chapters 5 8 of A History of Islamic Societies Ahmed, A. S., A Theory of Islamic History, Ch. 3 of Discovering Islam 4 Mar 13 THE FLOWERING OF THE ISLAMIC WORLD, 1000-1500 5 Mar 20 THE ISLAMIC WORLD IN THE AGE OF EUROPEAN EXPANSION, 1500-1800 6 Mar 27 REVELATION, THE QUR AN, PROPHETHOOD & PROPHET MUHAMMAD 7 Apr 3 THEOLOGY OF GOD IN ISLAM & EXISTENTIAL PERSPECTIVE 8 Apr 10 THE ISLAMIC WORLDVIEW: HUMAN NATURE, DIVINE WILL, SUFFERING, GOOD & EVIL MID-SEMESTER BREAK April 11 April 28 9 May 1 DEATH, RESURRECTION & AFTERLIFE; ISLAMIC SPIRITUALITY 10 May 8 PROPHETIC NARRATIVES, ISLAMIC LAW AND ITS DEVELOPMENT 11 May 15 ECONOMY IN MUSLIM SOCIETIES 12 May 22 THE ORDERING OF MUSLIM SOCIETIES
7 13 May 29 KNOWLEDGE, ITS TRANSMISSION/THE MAKING OF MUSLIM SOCIETIES 14 Jun 5 ARTISTIC EXPRESSIONS OF MUSLIM SOCIETIES