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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
1.
2.
3.
4.
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
1.
2.
3.
4.
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
1. Lings, 33-36
2. Ibn Hisham, 82-84
3. Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 147-150; 438-439
Tuesday, February 9: Exercise Due (2 pp.)
Feb. 9: The Night Journey
1. Ibn Hisham, 181-187
2. Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 245-249
3. Tabari, 78-80
Feb. 11: Night Journey (continued)
1. Van Ess, 45-77
Feb. 16: The Battle of Badr, the Battle of the Ditch; the Treaty of Hudaybiyya
1. Ibn Hisham, 289-314; 450-69; 499-507
Feb. 18: The Emigration to Medina
1. Lings, 118-122
2. Ibn Hisham, 221-231
3. Ibn Sa‘d, vol. 1, 263-277
Feb. 23: The Constitution of Medina
1. Ibn Hisham, 231-233
Feb. 25: The Conquest of Mecca; Farewell Pilgrimage
1. Ibn Hisham, 540-557 and 649-652
2. Lings, 297-303 and 332-336
Mar. 2: Muhammad in non-Muslim Literature
1. 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
1. Kalabadhi, 1-82
Mar. 11: Sufi Psychology of “States and Stations”
1. Qushayri, 1-16; 75-138
Mar. 23: Sufi Practice
1. Qushayri, 280-288; 312-319; 342-392
Mar. 25: Muhammad the Physician of the Soul
1. Ghazali, Deliverance from Error
2. Razi, Keys to the Unseen (selections to be distributed)
Mar. 30: Muhammad in Sufi Cosmology
1. Daya, The Path of God’s Bondsmen, 33-69
Apr. 1: Muhammad in Sufi Cosmology
1. Daya, The Path of God’s Bondsmen, 70-122
Apr. 6: Anti-Sufis
1. 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
1. 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)
1. 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
1. Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, begin reading
2. Sayyid Qutb, Social Justice in Islam, begin reading
Apr. 22: Sayyid Qutb
1. Sayyid Qutb, Milestones, finish reading
2. Sayyid Qutb, Social Justice in Islam, finish reading
Apr. 27: Khomeini [d. 1989]
1. Screening (in class) of Iran: A Revolution Betrayed
2. Khomeini, Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist (selections to be
distributed), begin reading
Apr. 29: Khomeini [d. 1989]
1. Khomeini, Islamic Government: Governance of the Jurist, finish reading
May 4: The Danish Cartoon Controversy
1. Talal Asad, Reflections on Blasphemy and Secular Criticism, 580-610
May 6: Wrap-up
Monday, May 10: Paper Due (6-7 pp.)