Religion 24
MUHAMMAD
Spring 2010
Professor: T. Jaffer
Office: Chapin 209
E-Mail: [email protected]
Office hours: Tuesday 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., and by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course deals with the life of Muhammad, the founder and prophet of Islam. It is divided into three modules. The first deals with the life of Muhammad as reflected in the writings of the early Muslim biographers. It examines the crucial events of Muhammad’s life (the first revelation, the night journey, the emigration to Medina, the military campaigns) and focuses on Muhammad’s image in the eyes of the early Muslim community. The second deals with Muhammad in Islamic mysticism and focuses on Muhammad’s role and place in Islamic cosmology. The third deals with Muhammad in Islamic fundamentalism and focuses on reformers and revolutionaries in Islam. It aims to determine Muhammad’s role within the discourse of various fundamentalist narratives.
REQUIREMENTS
General: Students are expected to do all of the assigned readings before class, to attend all class meetings and to participate actively in discussion session. For the first module, please bring highlighters of four or five different colors to class.
Papers: Two “exercises” on assigned questions. These are to be submitted in class on the stated days (no extensions). They will be graded with a check plus, check or check minus (10% of your total grade). Three graded papers (6-7 pp.), to be submitted on stated dates (each is worth 30% of your total grade).
Extension policy: Paper extensions are likely to be granted if they are asked for well ahead of time. A good reason must be offered for any request for an extension. No extensions will be granted less than twenty-four hours in advance of a paper deadline except in cases of emergency. Papers received late without an extension will receive a grade penalty.
Absence policy: Repeated, unexcused absences will result in a final grade penalty of not less than one third of a letter grade.
Evaluations: Students will be required to submit course evaluations at the end of the semester. Students will not be able to gain access to their course grades until an evaluation has been submitted.
BOOKS FOR PURCHASE
Ibn Hisham (d. 218/833 or 213/828), Biography of the Prophet (Life of Muhammad: A Translation of [Ibn] Ishaq’s Sirat rasul Allah, tr. A. Guillaume, London and New York: Oxford University Press, 2002)
Martin Lings, Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources (Rochester: Inner Traditions International, 2006)
Sayyid Qutb, Milestones (paperback)
The following material will be available on E-Reserve:
Ibn Sa‘d (d. 230/845). The Great Book of Generations (Kitab al-Tabaqat al-kabir, vol. 1, trans. S. Moinul Haq with H.K. Ghazanfar, New Delhi: Kitab Bhavan, n.d.), 132-135; 145-147; 170-177; 168-170; 219-230; 147-150; 438-439; 245-249; 263-277
Uri Rubin, The Eye of the Beholder: The Life of Muhammad as Viewed by the Early Muslims Princeton: The Darwin Press, Inc., 1995), 1-17; 44-55; 59-75; 103-112
Fred McGraw Donner, Narratives of Islamic Origins: The Beginnings of Islamic Historical Writing (Princeton: The Darwin Press, Inc., 1998), 1-31
Josef van Ess, “Theology and the Koran: The Mi‘raj and the Debate on Anthropomorphism,” trans. J.M. Todd, The Flowering of Muslim Theology (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 2006), 45-77
Kalabadhi [d. 995], The Doctrine of the Sufis, trans. A.J. Arberry, The Doctrine of the Sufis (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1977) , 1-11; 74-112
Qushayri [d. 1074], Epistle on Sufism, trans. A.D. Knysh, (Reading: Garnet Publishing, 2007), 1-16; 75-138
Tabari (d. 310/923), The History of a-Tabari (vol. 6, Muhammad at Mecca, tr. W.M. Watt and M.V. McDonald, 78-80
Razi [d. 1256 or 1257] The Path of God’s Bondsmen from Origin to Return, trans. H. Algar (Delmar, NY: Caravan Books, 1980), 33-122
Burhanpuri [d. 1590], The Gift addressed to the Spirit of the Prophet, trans. A.H. Johns, Oriental Monograph Series No. 1, Centre of Oriental Studies (Canberra: Australian National University, 1965), 29-99; 139-148
Sayyid Qutb [d. 1966], Social Justice in Islam, trans. John B. Hardie (Washington, D.C.: American Council on Learned Societies, 1953), 1-100
Talal Asad, “Reflections on Blasphemy and Secular Criticism” in Religion: Beyond a Concept, ed. H. de Vries (New York: Fordham University Press, 2008), 580-610
THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD
Jan. 26: Introduction to the course; the Example of the Prophet
Jan. 28: Sources for Muhammad’s Biography; Attestation by the Monk Bahira
Lings, 29-30
Ibn Hisham, 79-82
Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 132-135; 145-147; 170-177
Rubin, 1-17 and 44-55
Tuesday, February 2: Exercise Due (2 pp.)
Feb. 2: The First Revelations
Lings, 43-45
Ibn Hisham, 104-121
Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 168-170; 219-230
Rubin, 59-75 and 103-112
Feb. 4: Muhammad’s Wives
Lings, 33-36
Ibn Hisham, 82-84
Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 147-150; 438-439
Tuesday, February 9: Exercise Due (2 pp.)
Feb. 9: The Night Journey
Ibn Hisham, 181-187
Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 245-249
Tabari, 78-80
Feb. 11: Night Journey (continued)
Van Ess, 45-77
Feb. 16: The Battle of Badr, the Battle of the Ditch; the Treaty of Hudaybiyya
Ibn Hisham, 289-314; 450-69; 499-507
Feb. 18: The Emigration to Medina
Lings, 118-122
Ibn Hisham, 221-231
Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 263-277
Feb. 23: The Constitution of Medina
Ibn Hisham, 231-233
Feb. 25: The Conquest of Mecca; Farewell Pilgrimage
Ibn Hisham, 540-557 and 649-652
Lings, 297-303 and 332-336
Mar. 2: Muhammad in non-Muslim Literature
Readings to be distributed
Thursday, March 4: Paper Due (6-7 pp.)
Mar. 4: In class we will share our findings.
MUHAMMAD IN ISLAMIC MYSTICISM
Mar. 9: Muhammad the Sufi Prototype
Kalabadhi, 1-82
Mar. 11: Sufi Psychology of “States and Stations”
Qushayri, 1-16; 75-138
Mar. 23: Sufi Practice
Qushayri, 280-288; 312-319; 342-392
Mar. 25: Muhammad the Physician of the Soul
Ghazali, Deliverance from Error
Razi, Keys to the Unseen (selections to be distributed)
Mar. 30: Muhammad in Sufi Cosmology
Daya, The Path of God’s Bondsmen, 33-69
Apr. 1: Muhammad in Sufi Cosmology
Daya, The Path of God’s Bondsmen, 70-122
Apr. 6: Anti-Sufis
Ibn Jauzi, Delusion of the Devil, vol. 1, 3-100
Thursday, April 8: Paper Due (6-7 pp.)
Apr. 8: In class we will share our findings.
MUHAMMAD IN ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISM
Apr. 13: Discussion of Religious Fundamentalism
G.A. Almond, E. Sivan, and R. S. Appleby, “Fundamentalism: Genus and Species,” in M.E. Marty and R. S. Appleby, Fundamentalisms Comprehended (University of Chicago Press, 1995), pp. 399-423
Apr. 15: Discussion of Secularization and Islam (focus: Egypt)
Talal Asad, “Reconfigurations of Law and Ethics in Colonial Egypt” in Formations of the Secular: Christianity, Islam, Modernity (Stanford University Press, 2003), pp. 205-256
Apr. 20: Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, begin reading
Sayyid Qutb, Social Justice in Islam, begin reading
Apr. 22: Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, finish reading
Sayyid Qutb, Social Justice in Islam, finish reading
Apr. 27: Khomeini [d. 1989]
Screening (in class) of Iran: A Revolution Betrayed
Khomeini, Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist (selections to be distributed), begin reading
Apr. 29: Khomeini [d. 1989]
Khomeini, Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist, finish reading
May 4: The Danish Cartoon Controversy
Talal Asad, Reflections on Blasphemy and Secular Criticism, 580-610
May 6: Wrap-up
Monday, May 10: Paper Due (6-7 pp.)
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