New Course Proposal
Scott Lucas
Dept. of Near Eastern Studies
Religious Studies Program
Summary of the proposed course TRAD 101: The Religion of Islam
The goal of the proposed course The Religion of Islam is to provide a sound
introduction to the fundamental concepts and schools of thought within the Islamic
religion. The course draws from the entire fourteen-century history of Islam and devotes
particular attention to the formative period from 600-900 CE. Students will learn the
differences between Sunni and Shi‘i Islam, major positions of the three primary
theological schools, and spend two weeks exploring the rich mystical tradition. They will
also engage in the analysis of key Islamic texts, such as the Qur’an and the teachings of
the Prophet (hadith), and architectural marvels, such as the Dome of the Rock in
Jerusalem and the Taj Mahal. The course concludes with modern political Islamic
movements in the Middle East and the Muslim community in the United States. Students
who complete this class successfully will have examined Islam as a distinct array of
ideas, customs, values, and artistic expressions that have developed over time due to a
wide variety of social changes.
This course challenges and assesses students in several ways. The weekly
discussion sections insure that students engage the assigned readings and articulate their
understanding of them in an intimate setting. The two papers require that they critically
engage foundational texts of the Islamic tradition and represent their thoughts in lucid
prose. The exams transcend mere memorization of facts and challenge students to
explain what social and political forces shaped the emergence of diverse schools of
thought over the course of the venture of Islam. Honors students are required to write an
original 10-15 page research paper and work in close communication with their professor
in lieu of the second short paper. They are enrolled in the professor’s weekly discussion
section and are assigned additional readings on a regular basis.
A final benefit of this proposed course is that it will enable the Tier Two NES 334
Islamic Thought course to be devoted exclusively to primary sources of the Islamic
tradition in translation. Currently, the absence of an introductory class devoted to the
religion of Islam has necessitated that the Islamic Thought class be taught as a hybrid
introductory-intermediate course. The implementation of a Tier One course on Islam
thus allows the instructor of Islamic Thought to unload the introductory material that is in
the NES 334 syllabus to the new Religion of Islam course and convert the Islamic
Thought class into a more sophisticated and intellectually rigorous course. For example,
two of the current textbooks in Islamic Thought (NES 334), Daniel Brown’s A New
Introduction to Islam and Heinz Halm’s Shi‘a Islam: From Religion to Revolution, would
be shifted to the Tier One Religion of Islam course, and two addition books, such as a
Qur’an translation and the Islamic version of Aristotle’s Nichomachean Ethics could be
incorporated into the Tier Two course. The addition of a Tier One Religion of Islam
class not only promises to increase the exposure of Islam to a wider array of students, but
will enhance the curriculum of Islamic Studies in the Near Eastern Studies department
and the Religious Studies program by allowing the Tier Two Islamic Thought class to
serve as a truly intermediate level course.
Course Proposal
Scott Lucas
Syllabus for TRAD 101: The Religion of Islam
The Religion of Islam introduces students to the beliefs, teachings, and intellectual
diversity of Islam. It provides an overview of the life and teachings of Muhammad,
major themes of the Qur’an, and the primary differences between Sunni and Shi‘i Islam.
Students also receive an introduction to the legal, theological, and mystical traditions of
Islam, all of which continue to influence Muslims to this day. The course concludes with
a concise presentation of Islam in south and southeast Asia, modern political trends, and
Islam in America. Students who complete this course will have a solid understanding of
many of the beliefs and values of Muslims, as well as a clear idea of the plurality of
traditions within the religion of Islam that are of great relevance to this day.
Requirements: Two 3-4 page papers (30%), Midterm (30%), Final exam (30%), Class
participation (10%)
Honors requirements: One 3-4 page paper (10%), Midterm (20%), One 10-15 page
research paper (30%), Final Exam (30%), Class participation (10%)
Required Books:
Brown, Daniel. A New Introduction to Islam. Blackwell Press, 2004.
Halm, Heinz. Shi‘a Islam: From Religion to Revolution. Marcus Weiner, 1997.
Week 1: Preliminaries
a) Introduction
b) The Arabic language
Week 2: Life of the Prophet Muhammad
a) Mecca: Brown, pp. 10-18, 69-77
b) Medina: Brown, pp. 77-83
Week 3: The Qur’an (1)
a) Theology: Brown, 53-68; E-Res: “Theological verses”
b) Ethics: E-Res: “Ethical verses”
Week 4: The Qur’an (2)
a) Marriage & Divorce: E-Res: “Family law verses”
b) Warfare: E-Res: “Warfare verses”
Week 5: The Hadith
a) Prophetic ethics: E-Res: “Ethical hadith”
b) Prophetic laws: E-Res: “Legal hadith”
PAPER #1 DUE (Topic: Qur’an)
The Religion of Islam, pg. 2
Week 6: The Muslim Community
a) Historical overview of the expansion of Islam: Brown, pp. 175-93
b) Division: the first two civil wars: E-Res: Hugh Kennedy, The Prophet and the
Age of the Caliphates, pp. 50-90
Week 7: Sunni Islam
a) Caliphate: Brown, pp. 97-115
b) Schools of Law: Brown, pp. 116-30
Week 8: Shi‘i Islam
a) Theories of the Imamate: Halm, pp. 3-37
b) Schools of Law: Halm, pp. 88-115
Week 9: Review & Midterm
Week 10: Theology
a) The Mu‘tazila: Brown, pp. 135-43
b) The Ash‘ari and Hanbali reactions: Brown, pp. 143-49; E-Res: “The Creeds of
Ibn Hanbal and al-Ash‘ari”
Week 11: Sufism (1)
a) Origins: E-Res: “Sufi verses and hadith”
b) Rabi‘a & early Sufi women: E-Res: Excerpts from R. Cornell, Early Sufi
Women
Week 12: Sufism (2)
a) Sufi poetry: E-Res: “Sufi poetry”
b) Sufi brotherhoods & Orders: Brown, pp. 154-62
Week 13: Islam in South & Southeast Asia
a) Mughal Art and Architecture
b) The spread of Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia: E-Res: Ira Lapidus, A History
of Islamic Societies, pp. 467-88
PAPER #2 DUE (topic: Theology/Sufism)
Week 14: Political Islam
a) The Muslim Brotherhood & Wahhabis: Brown, pp. 200-20
b) The Iranian Revolution: Halm, pp. 118-62
Week 15: Islam in America
a) Malcolm X & the Nation of Islam: E-Res: “Speeches of Malcolm X”
b) Islam in American mosques and universities