SYLLABUS

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Prof. Peter Gottschalk                                                             office hours: Tu 2.45-4.15 pgottschalk@wesleyan.edu                                               Th 10-11.30 a.m.tel. ext. 2293                                                                                       & by appointment

Our overall goal:  To establish enough familiarity with the most common teachings and practices associated with Islam that we can explore the diversity of traditions among Muslims.

Week 1.   Introduction

Sep 3               Introduction

Week 2.   The Message

Sep 8               Bernard Lewis, “The Revolt of Islam” (in Reader)

Edward Said, "Islam and the West" (in Reader)

Sep 10             Denny (chs. 4 & 5)

Sep 10, 7-10 pm          Special film showing & discussion (attendance required)

Week 3.   The Model of the Messenger and the umma after Muhammad

Sep 15             Annemarie Schimmel, from And Muhammad Is His Messenger (in Reader

                        selections from Sirat Rasul Allah (in Reader)

Sep 17             After Muhammad: Denny (pp. 83-106)

Leila Ahmed, “Women and the Rise of Islam” & “The Transitional Age”

(in Reader)

                        Soraya Altorki, “Role and Status of Women” (in Reader)

Map quiz

Week 4.   God, the Quran, & Its Interpreters

Sep 22             Denny (pp. 138-157)

Quran, Suras 1 & 2:1-225  (in Reader)

John Alden Williams, “The Word of God” (in Reader)

Sep 24             Quran browser: http://www.al-islam.org/quran/

Lailat al-Miraj Traditions of interpretation: Mahmoud Ayoub (in Reader)

                        The case of Eve: Barbara Stowasser (in Reader)

                        Optional: Andrew Rippen, “Literary Analysis of Qur‘an, Tafsîr, and

                        Sîra” (in Reader)

Week 5.   The Hadith and Common Beliefs & Practices

Sep 29           Denny (pp. 158-163, 167-171)

                        Williams (pp. 56-65 of original; in Reader)

  Sahih Muslim extracts (in Reader)

Oct 1               theme exploration: http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/

The Five Pillars of Islam: Denny (pp. 107-137)

Week 6.        Common Beliefs & Practices and Law & State

Oct 6               Anis Daud Matthews, from A Guide for Hajj and ‘Umra (in Reader)

Yom Kippur    Everyday practices: Denny (pp. 269-298)

                        Leila Ahmed, from A Border Passage (in Reader)

                        Imtiaz Dharker, “Grace” (in Reader)

Media analysis assignment #1 due: Analyze any example of the

contemporary use by Muslims of the mythology of Muhammad and/or the

early umma OR the use of the Quran in the construction of their society.

Oct 8               Law & State: Denny (pp. 195-215)

                        Diverse perspectives: Abu-l-Ala Mawdudi (in Reader)

                                                            Sayyid Qutb (in Reader)

                                                            Fazlur Rahman (in Reader)

                                                            Ayatullah Ruhmallah Khumayni (in Reader)

Week 7.   Midterm & Sufism

Oct 13             midterm learning opportunity

Oct 15             Martin Lings (chs. 1-6, in Reader)

Oct 17, Fri      Media analysis assignment #2 due (by 2.30 p.m.): Analyze any example

                       of the contemporary use by Muslims of ritual that contributes to the

                       construction of their society.

Week 8.    Sufism

Oct 20             Fall Break—frolic at will!

Oct 22             Denny (pp. 219-220, 225-228)

Story of a saint: Rabia (in Reader)

Michael Gilsenan, “The Operations of Grace”

Media analysis assignment #3 due:  Describe the perspectives of one

Muslim political leader or theorist regarding the relation between Islam and

state OR analyze the depiction of Islam and politics by specific Western

news reporters .

Week 9.   European Encounters & Modernity

Oct 27             European conflicts – Reconquista & Crusade: Watt (in Reader)

Ramadan begins          RAW paper outline due by 4.30 p.m.

Oct 29             Marshall Hodgson, “The Impact of the Great Western Transmutation”

                       (in Reader)

Oct 30, Th.     Media analysis assignment #4 due: Provide examples of how

                       contemporary news reporting echo Medieval European views of Muslims.

Week 10.  India, Pakistan, & Nationalism

Nov 3             Hodgson, “European World Hegemony” (in Reader)

Responses to modernity: Denny (pp. 321-355)

Nov 5             Attia Hosain (pp. v-115)

                        Recommended: Barbara Metcalf, “India”

                         Media analysis assignment #5 due: How do contemporary news

                         sources from predominantly Muslim cultures demonstrate the impact of

                         modernity?

Week 11.  India, Pakistan, & Nationalism

Nov 10           Hosain (pp. 118-200)

                        Muhammad Iqbal, “A Separate Muslim State in the Subcontinent”

                        (in Reader)

Nov 12          Hosain (pp. 201-319)

Birth of Baha’u‘llah

Week 12. India, Pakistan, & Nationalism and Islamists in Egypt

Nov 15          “A Virtual Indian Village”: http://virtualvillage.wesleyan.edu

                                    (pay special attention to life at the two Sufi tombs!)

Nov 19          Geneive Abdo (pp. 3-70)

                        Recommended: Raymond Baker, “Egypt”

Week 13.  Political Islam

Nov. 24          Film class: Political Islam in the world today--“Now” With Bill Moyers, July 12, 2002

Nov. 26         Class cancelled due to Thanksgiving (also, Id al-Fitr)

Week 14.   Islamists in Egypt and Malcolm Little, Malcolm X, & El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz

Dec 1             Abdo (pp. 71-106, 139-162)

Dec 3             Malcolm X (chs. “Nightmare,” “Satan,” “Saved,” and “Savior”)

                        Recommended: Yvonne Yazbeck Haddad & Jane Smith, “United States

                      of America”

Dec 4, Th.       RAW paper due by 2.30 p.m.

Week 15.   The specter of conflict: “Islam versus the West”

Dec 8               Malcolm X (chs. “Out,” “Mecca,” & “El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz”)

Bodhi Day

December 16, Tuesday (from 2-5 p.m.)                  Final learning opportunity

Books to be Purchased:

            Geneive Abdo, No God But God

Frederick Denny, An Introduction to Islam.

            Attia Hosain, Sunlight on a Broken Column

            Malcolm X, The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Reader

All of these texts (except the reader) are also on reserve in the library.

Course objectives

This course attempts to provide the following for students:

     (A) Familiarity with some of the basic teachings and practices associated with Islam.

     (B) Awareness of the diversity of religious traditions among Muslims.

     (C) Ability to understand Islam using the tools of comparative religious studies.

Class participation

This constitutes the most important part of the class because of the opportunity it affords you to discuss the issues that are of concern to you and hear those of others.  Class attendance is mandatory and students are expected to be punctual.  Students who plan to miss class due to a religious holiday must notify the professor two weeks in advance.

Media analysis assignment

The three media assignments allow students the opportunity to fuse their class study with analysis of world events and communities while refining the ability to write succinctly.  Using a minimum of at least three current news sources or Muslim websites, answer three of the five questions listed on the syllabus with particular emphasis on analysis using the class readings.  These must be only three to four pages long and use no more than three short quotes.

RAW Papers

One research, analysis, and writing (RAW) paper (12-14 pages) on any approved topic that examines Islam in a specific culture in light of one of the analytic themes (e.g., myth, ritual, social constructions, modernity, nationalism) discussed in class. The topic should be discussed with the teacher before work begins.  Papers allow you an opportunity to explore personal interests and develop writing skills.  These papers must be entirely original, fully footnoted, and include a bibliography.  They are graded for both style and content.  An outline with thesis statement and annotated bibliography of the paper is due by 4.30 p.m. on October 27.  Papers are due by 2.30 p.m. on December 5.  BE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE RULES of PLAGIARISM EXPLAINED BELOW.  PLAGIARISM CAN RESULT IN AN IMMEDIATE FAILING GRADE.

Learning Opportunities

Two exams will provide you the opportunity to assimilate the material discussed over the previous weeks and demonstrate your particular views.   These opportunities will occur on October 13 and Tuesday, December 16 (from 2-5 p.m.) during final exam week.

Map Quiz

A map quiz will be given at the end of Week 3 in order to prompt you to have an understanding of the geography involved in our work.

Basis of grade

Of the 1000 points which compose a grade, class participation constitutes 100 points, the map quiz 100 points, the first learning opportunity 100 points, each media assignment 100 points, the final learning opportunity 200 points, and the RAW paper 200 points.

Accommodations

Wesleyan University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities.  Students should provide documentation and schedule an appointment with the Office of the Dean of the College at least two weeks before services are needed.  In each class where a student requests academic accommodations, the student must meet with the faculty member teaching the course at least one week prior to the requested accommodation. PLEASE! do not hesitate to discuss with me your needs for any accommodation.

Honor System

Students are expected to abide by the Honor System in regard to all work and participation in this class.  For details, see www.wesleyan.edu/acaf/policy/sc_honor_system.htm.

Students who fail to attend the first day of class are not guaranteed a place in the course.