Intro to Islam

Catalog description

This course will be a study of Islam as a lived tradition focusing on its history, beliefs, practices, adherents, challenges and misconceptions. The purpose of this course is to introduce graduate students to the basic tenets of the Islamic faith tradition, discuss the biography (sirah) of the Prophet Muhammad; analyze various sciences ('ulum) of the Qur'an and hadith (prophetic traditions), and how these two primary Islamic sources influenced the codification of Islamic law (shari'a), creedal literature ('aqidah), and Islamic mysticism (Sufism [tasawwuf]). In addition, we will look at various contemporary understandings and manifestations of the global phenomenon of Islam and how these understandings are shaped by various historical, societal, literary, and cultural factors. Introduction to Islam as a lived tradition focuses on its history, beliefs, practices, adherents, challenges and misconceptions.