York College of Pennsylvania

Course Description: This course will introduce students to the Islamic religious tradition, examining the historical, theological, and cultural developments of Islam. Major areas of study will be pre-Islamic Arabia; the life of the Prophet Muhammad; the Qur’an and the Hadith; basic Islamic religious practices and law. In addition, we will examine aspects of Islamic civilization and culture, focusing on the split between Sunni and Shi‘i Islam, as well as an examination of Sufism, the mystical tradition in Islam.

A major goal of the course is to provide the student with the necessary foundation to fully understand the reality of Islam and not the pre-conceived, media enhanced picture. To accomplish this we will examine the modern phenomenon of Islam by examining the modern reformers in Islam, Islamic “fundamentalism”, the meanings of “jihad”, the “Rushdie Affair”, the Nation of Islam, the regionalism of Islam, and the study and understanding of Islam after September 11, 2001.

Academic Honesty: “Academic dishonesty refers to actions such as cheating, plagiarism, etc. and includes all situations where a student makes use of the work of others and claims such work as their own. Academic dishonesty is not tolerated at York College. If the professor believes that a student has committed an act of academic dishonesty, he will notify the student and the Dean of Academic Affairs, and the student will receive a grade of “0” in the course” (Student Handbook)

Textbook:

Caesar E. Farah. Islam. 7^th ed. Barron’s Educational Services, 2003.

Huston Smith. Islam. HarperSanFrancisco, 2001.

F.E. Peters. A Reader on Classical Islam. Princeton University Pres, 1994.

Ø The textbooks are substantial aspects of the course. I am here to teach you, not read to you. The majority of the lectures will be supplemented with textbook/primary source readings. I will often assign questions based upon the reading to be completed by the following class period. All course assignments must be typed and handed in on time. No late assignments will be accepted.

Ø Make sure to bring Peter, A Reader on Classical Islam to class each period. We will read a large number of selections from this book and discuss in class.

Course Requirements and Grading:

Grades:

Final Exam (cumulative): 25%

Reading essays/responses: 25%

In class participation: 10%

Quizzes: 15%

Regional Islam Term Paper and class presentation: 25%

%	LETTER GRADE	NUMERICAL GRADE	MEANING
90-100	A	4	EXCELLENT
85-89	B+	3.5	VERY GOOD
80-84	B	3	GOOD
75-79	C+	2.5	ABOVE AVERAGE
70-74	C	2	AVERAGE
60-69	D	1	BELOW AVERAGE
0-59	F	0	FAILURE

Attendance: Attendance is your responsibility, not for me, but for yourself. I normally do not take attendance. However, any “extra credit” aspect of the course is based upon your attendance. I will not give any “extra” credit assignments or round if you have not attended class on a regular basis. In the past I have been known to give “attendance quizzes,” too.

Writing Standards: Students enrolled in this course are expected to use literate and effective English in their speech and writing. All papers and test submitted must be well-written; grades will be based on expression as well as on content. Students may be required to rewrite papers/tests which are marred by errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, organization, etc. If I can not read your handwriting I will not grade your test/exam.

Make up policy: Tests/quizzes may be made up at the discretion of the professor.

Final Examinations MAY NOT BE MADE UP.

REGIONALISM IN ISALM

INTRODUCTION: The student will choose one major country of the world and describe all aspects of Islam in that country.

MAJOR POINTS OF EMPHASIS FOR RESEARCH: The following is a minimum list of areas you should research about your country. Remember, this is simply a brief outline of information to begin your research. It is possible to receive a passing grade without going beyond these basic areas, but to earn higher than a “C” you must go beyond the average.

BASIC STATISTICS
HISTORY: What was the major pre-Islamic religion/society?; What caused the rise of Islam?; Islamic persecution/acceptance in your country; Relations between Islam and other religions in your country; Any role in Islamic imperialism and the spreading of dar al-islam.
ISLAMIC FOUNDATIONS: What is the major form of Islam practiced in your country?; Relations with other Islamic sects: Particular Islamic leaders who helped form the basis of Islam in historical and/or modern terms.
ISLAM TODAY: What is your country’s role in the American “war on terrorism”?; What, if any, fundamentalists organizations exist in your country and how are they involved in the spreading of Islam?; American relations with the various Islamic groups in your country.

PROCEDURES:

Choose one MAJOR country. (The following chapters of Caesar Farah’s, Islam provides information about the regionalism of Islam. If you have trouble deciding on a country utilize these chapters to find a country which interests you: Chapters12, 13, 14,
Submit your country for my approval (first come first serve.)
Utilizing the library find sources about your country.
Include an annotated bibliography (basically a paragraph describing how you utilized each source and the value you found in it.)
LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTIONS NOW:

Q. Internet sites: A. You may internet sites. However, like any printed material the site must be fully cited.
Q. “Does spelling and grammar count?” A. YES. See “Writing Standards” section above. Please PROOFREAD and do not rely on spell check. Although I allow a few simple errors the less simple errors the better the grade.
Q. “Do I need to cite anything in the paper” A. YES. You MUST internally cite according to either MLA or Chicago styles. If you have any questions about what to cite or not ask me or better yet.
Q. “Does the College offer any help in writing papers?” A. Yes. You already pay for the Writing Center. They will help you with all aspects of the paper: organization, writing, proofreading, etc. Take advantage of a great program.

FINAL PAPER REQUIRENMENTS:

Title pager with your name, date, and topic name.
8-10 pages of text.
Internal citations.
Annotated bibliography.
Times New Roman font and 12 point.
Standard margin of no more than 1’ top and bottom and 1.25 for side margins.
Double space
Permanently bound together: No paper clips, folded corners, etc.
Class Presentation [utilizing any visual means you would like, present your research to the class on the assigned day. Prior notification of audio/visual needs is required two weeks prior to presentation. The Presentation grade will count as a test/quiz grade.

TENTATIVE COURSE SCHEDULE

September 1: Introduction to course.

Essay: “Why do you want to learn about Islam? What do you want from this course?”

September 6: No class

September 8: Islam: An overview (Read Farah, Ch. 1)

September13: Early Islamic History: Pre-Islamic Arabia and its influence (Read Farah, Ch. 2)

September15: Early Islamic History: Persecution, Conquest, and dar al-Islam (Smith, pp.1-22)

September 20: Muhammad the Prophet (Farah, Ch. 3)

September 22: Muhammad the Prophet

September 27: Muhammad the Man (Farah Ch. 4)

September 29: Muhammad the Man

October 4: The Qur’an: Creation and Organizatoin (Farah Ch. 5)

October 6: The Qur’an: Interpreting the Qur’an; Its Use in daily life; “Final” revelation. (Smith, pp. 23-45)

October 11: Islamic Tradition and Law: Imitating Muhammad (Hadiths) and the Schools of Law

October 13: Abrahamic religions: Their Common Roots and the Dhimmi

October 18: No School

October 20: Movie: The Arabs make their entrance: Islam and the empire

October 25: Fundamentals of Islam: Beliefs (Farah Ch. 6)

October 27: Fundamentals of Islam: Beliefs

November 1: Fundamentals of Islam: Obligations (Smith, pp. 48-56)

November 3: Film: The Five Pillars of Islam

November 8: Islamic Rituals and Customs (Farah Ch. 7)

November 10: Muslim Ethics (Smith pp. 57-74

November15: Shi’ites and Sufis (Smith pp. 74-93)

November 17: Guest Speaker

November 22: Activist Islam (Farah Ch. 15 and 16)

November24: No school

November 29: Movie: Islam in America

December 1: Regional Presentations

December 6: Regional Presentations

December 8: Regional Presentations

December 13: Regional Presentations

Final Exam Week: December 16-21. Final Exam to be announced.

*If the need arises this syllabus may be altered at the discretion of the professor.