Description:

This course covers the context in which Islam arose; the career of the Prophet Muhammad; the main teachings and practices of the religion; the Qur'an and other early Islamic literature; subsequent political developments in the religion and its spread; its main religious branches; its history during the Middle Ages; the Christian crusades and their consequences; the major components of Islamic civilization including law, the arts, literature, philosophy, science, and mathematics; Sufi; the effects of Western imperialism upon Islamic states; major developments in Islamic thought and practice since the seventeenth century; the Islamic diaspora; and Islam today. HUM 150 is the same course as HIST 150 and REL 150; enroll in one only. 3 hrs. lecture/wk.

Supplies: Refer to the instructor's course syllabus for details about any supplies that may be required.

Prerequisites: NONE

Textbook(s): For information see - http://bookstore.jccc.net

Course Fees: NONE

Course Objectives:

Upon successful completion of this course the student should be able to:

1. 1. Analyze the religious and political dynamics of the Near East just prior to the rise of Islam.
2. 2. Discuss the life of the Prophet Muhammad in its Arabian context.
3. 3. Explain the main teachings and practices of Islam, and the status and textual history of the Qur’an.
4. 4. Describe the history and significance of the Qur’an, the earliest written biography (sira) of Muhammad, and the Hadith.
5. 5. Assess the political significance of Islam in its Arabian context and summarize early succession struggles; describe subsequent Islamic conquests, and the establishment of the Ummayad and Abbasid caliphates.
6. 6. Identify and compare the main branches of Islam.
7. 7 Describe political developments during the Abbasid caliphate, its disruption by Turks and Mongols, the spread of Turkic and Persian Muslim rule to India, and the Christian Crusades and their consequences.
8. 8. Identify the major developments in Islamic civilization during its classical period: law, the Arabic language, calligraphy, architecture, art, literature, philosophy, medicine, science, and mathematics.
9. 9. Explain the role and significance of Sufi practices and literature.
10. 10. Describe Islamic civilization in Persia, Central Asia, The Caucuses, India, and Southeast Asia.
11. 11. Describe the significance of the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire; and identify and assess the impacts of western imperialism on Islamic civilization.
12. 12. Discuss and evaluate the major developments in Islamic thought and practice from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries C.E.

Content Outline & Competencies:

I.  The religious and political dynamics of the Near East just prior
to the rise of Islam.
   A. Analyze the struggle of the Byzantine Empire and the Persian
Sassanid Empire for control of the Near East
   B. Discuss the emerging close relationships between religion and the
state during the early Common Era.
      1. Compare the relationship of the Orthodox Church and the Byzantine
Empire to that of the Zoroastrian religion and the Sassanid Empire.
      2. Examine parallel movements in near-eastern Judaism.
   C. Explain the significance of the pro-Byzantine Ghassanid and the
pro-Sassanian Lakmid kingdoms on the northern edge of the Arabian
Peninsula.
   D. Consider the significance of the term “holy war,” as used by the
Byzantine emperor Heraclius in his successful struggle against the
Sassanids.
   E. Describe the campaigns of the Ethiopians, the pro Byzantine Kinds
tribe, and the Sassanids around Mecca in the period of Muhammad’s
birth.
   F. Examine the pockets of Jewish influence in the Arabian Peninsula.
   G. Explain the religious situation in Mecca prior to Muhammad’s
Prophecy.
 
II. The life of the Prophet Muhammad in its Arabian context.
   A. Describe the context of Muhammad’s birth, youth, and early
career.
   B. Discuss the revelation of the Qur’an to Muhammad and how this was
recorded in the later text.
   C. Explain the reasons for and the consequences of Muhammad’s Hejira
(flight) to Yathrib (henceforth Medina) in 622.
   D. Describe the struggle for the control of Mecca, 624-630.

III. The main teachings and practices of Islam, and the status and textual
history of the Qur’an.
   A. Define “Islam” and “Muslim.”
   B. Identify the Five Pillars of Islam and explain the significance of
each.
      1. The Shahadah.
      2. Salah
      3. Zakat
      4. Sawm
      5. The Hajj
   C. Define and explain the significance of the following Islamic
concepts:
      1. “shirk”
      2. “jihad”
      3. “umma”
      4. The names of God: tanzih versus tashbih
      5. The Night Journey and the Seventh Heaven
      6. The Jinn
      7. Paradise and Hell
   D. Evaluate the significance of the prior Prophets and Maryam (the
Virgin Mary), and their roles in Qur’anic narrative and Islam
   E. Summarize Muhammad’s “Night Journey.”
   F. Discuss the history and role of Mecca and the Ka’ba in Islam.

IV. The history and significance of the Qur’an, the earliest written
biography (sira) of Muhammad, and the Hadith.
   A. Delineate various views as to the oral transmission and writing down
of the Qur’an
   B. Describe the status and authority of the Qur’an in Islam.
   C. Summarize the arguments used for the Qur’an’s
“inimitability.”
   D. Discuss the significance of Ibn Ishaq’s life of Muhammad (sira)
and other early texts on the subject.
   E. Compare the several versions of hadith and describe their
significance as sources for the life of Muhammad and Islamic law.

V. The political significance of Islam in its Arabian context, early
succession struggles, subsequent Islamic conquests, the establishment of
the Ummayad and Abbasid caliphates.
   A. Analyze Muhammad as prophet, military leader, and statesman, and
show how Islam created a new identity for the Arabian tribes.
   B. Explain the significance of Muhammad’s wives, children, and cousin
Ali, in the development of Islam.
   C. Show how the Caliph Abu Bakr ultimately united the rival Arabian
tribes and, under Caliph Omar, Damascus and the Byzantine Middle East were
seized.
   D. Describe the struggles for succession that occurred upon the murder
of the Caliph Othman, the subsequent establishment of the Ummayad
caliphate at Damascus, and the significance of the death of Husayn at
Karbala.
   E. Outline the subsequent Islamic conquests of North Africa, Spain,
Persia, and beyond in the late 600’s and early 700’s, and offer
reasons for their success.

VI. The main branches of Islam.
   A. Identify the theological positions of Khawarij and other Islamic
movements of the eighth century C.E. and show their significance to the
formation of subsequent Islamic identity. 
   B. Relate the development of Shia and Sunni branches of Islam to
rebellions against the Ummayad caliphate.
   C. Discuss the significance of the establishment of the Abbasid
caliphate to theological developments within Islam.
   D. Show how Sunni emerged in reaction to Shia identity.
   E. Contrast the differences between Shia and Sunni theology, practice,
and institutions.
   F. Compare the doctrinal differences among the several branches of Shia
Islam:  the Zaydi (“Fiver-Imam”), the Ithna ‘ashariyyah
(“Twelver-Imam”), and the Ismaili (“Seveners”).

VII. Political developments during the Abbasid caliphate, its disruption
by Turks and Mongols, the spread of Turkic and Persian Muslim rule to
India, and the Christian Crusades and their consequences.
   A. Discuss the establishment of the Abbasid caliphate.
      1. Analyze the Abbasid theory of kingship, the significance of the
construction of Baghdad as the capital, and the administration of
government.
      2. Describe Baghdad during the reign of Harun al-Rashid.
   B. Show how Islam spread into Central Asia and China.
   C. Outline the challenges to Abbasid rule provided by the Fatimids,
various Turkic peoples, the Mongolians, and Tamerlane.
   D. Summarize the effects of the Christian crusades on the Near East and
their continuing impact on Islamic-Christian relations.
   E. Outline the major Islamic political concepts of rulership and
society.
   F. Define the role the ulama in Islamic learning and politics.

VIII. Major developments in Islamic civilization during its classical
period: law, the Arabic language, calligraphy, architecture, art,
literature, philosophy, medicine, science, and mathematics.
   A. Describe the development of Islamic law, and show its significance
for Muslim lives.
      1. Analyze the relationship between Islamic law and previous legal
systems.
      2. Identify the four main schools of Islamic law, show their
geographical distribution, and contrast their major differences. 
   B. Discuss the early history of the Arabic language.
      1. Evaluate the significance of the rise of Islam for the spread and
development of Arabic.
      2. Assess the influence of Arabic on other western languages,
including English.
   C. Explain the significance of calligraphy in Islamic civilization and
its religious role.
   D. Survey the major developments of Islamic architecture in the
following areas:
      1. Jerusalem and Syria
      2. North Africa and Spain
      3. Persia
      4. Central Asia
      5. India
   E. Describe the impact of Islam on the pictorial arts.
      1. Review modern theories of Islamic aesthetics and the issue of
icons.
      2. Show the significance of decoration in Islamic art and
architecture.
      3. Survey Islamic pictorial art.
   F. Trace the origins of Arabic literary forms and describe their
Islamic developments.
   G. Summarize the achievements of Ibn Khaldun.
   H. Discuss the background of Islamic philosophy, identify its major
schools, and indicate the basic outlook of each; summarize developments in
medicine, science, and mathematics.
      1. Summarize the heritage of ancient Greek philosophy on Islamic
thought.
      2. Show the role of the Mu’tazilites (rationalists) in
transmitting Greek philosophy before and during the Abbasid caliphate and
its influence on Twelver-Imam Shia.
      3. Assess the influence of neo-Platonism and Gnosticism on the
theology of the Seveners.
      4. Describe the issue of God and “the created,” and its
significance for Muslim philosophy.
      5. Describe the issue of universalism versus nominalism and its
significance for Muslim philosophy.
      6. Summarize the synthesis of Plato and Aristotle in the
philosophies of al-Kindl and al-Farabi.
      7. Briefly summarize the philosophical achievements of Ibn Sina
(Avicenna), Algazel, and Averroes.
      8. Summarize the major Islamic achievements in medicine, science and
mathematics.

IX. The role and significance of Sufi practices and literature.
   A. Discuss the philosophical background and origins of Sufi.
   B. Identify the purpose and major ritual practices of the Sufi.
   C. Describe the establishment of Sufi orders and their spread
throughout the Islamic world.
   D. Summarize the relationship between Sufi and the main branches of
Islam.
   E. Identify the attitudes of various Islamic governments towards Sufi.
   F. Show the significance of the following Sufi authors in the
movement’s history:  al-Hallaj, Attar, Ibn Arabi, and Rumi.

X. Islamic civilization in Persia, Central Asia, the Caucasus, India, and
Southeast Asia.
   A. Show the impact of Islam on Persian history and civilization.
      1. Briefly trace the heritage of Persian civilization prior to the
arrival of Islam.
      2. Describe the architecture, art, philosophy, and literature of
Islamic Persia.
      3. Assess Persian civilization during the reign of Shah Abbas I.
   B. Show the impact of Islam on India.  
      1. Outline the gradual Islamic conquest of India.
      2. Analyze the special challenges Islam has faced in India and how
they have been addressed.
      3. Describe the intellectual, architectural, and artistic
accomplishments of Mughal India.
   C. Trace the spread of Islam throughout Southeast Asia, the special
challenges it faced, and how they were addressed.

XI. The significance of the Mamluks and the Ottoman Empire; the impacts of
western imperialism on Islamic civilizations.
   A. Characterize Mamluk rule and civilization in Syria and Egypt.
   B. Trace the rise and expansion of the Ottoman Empire, its conflict
with Safavid Persia, and its conquests in Christian Europe.
   C. State the Ottoman structure of political and religious authority,
and note the role of Sufi in maintaining it.
   D. Describe the architectural and artistic achievements of the
Ottomans.
   E. Summarize the political consequences of the military conflicts
between the Ottoman Empire and developing European nations, and the
gradual breakup of the empire.
   F. Discuss how western “Orientalism” viewed Islam.

XII. The major developments in Islamic thought and practice from the
seventeenth to the twentieth centuries C.E.
   A. Outline the main tenets of Wahhabi Islam and note its significance
today.
   B. Contrast the differences between modernist, secular-nationalist,
revivalist, and Pan-Islamic movements in the following Islamic dominions:
      1. The Ottoman Empire
      2. Iran
      3. Egypt
   C. State and evaluate the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948
on Muslims and Islamic states.
   D. Show the roles of Islamic nations in the Cold War and the Arab
political concepts that emerged from that conflict.
   E. Outline the causes and course of the Islamic revolution in Iran, and
discuss its consequences throughout Islam.
   F. Analyze the causes and consequences of the Islamic diaspora,
including that to the United States.
   G. Discuss the challenges Islam faces in the post-Cold War period and
the state of Islam today.

Methods of Evaluation of Competencies:

Evaluation of student mastery of course competencies will be accomplished using the following methods:

Examinations 50% of grade
Projects/Assignments 50% of grade
   Total 100%

Grade Criteria:
  A = 90 – 100%    
  B = 80 –  89%  
  C = 70 –  79%  
  D = 60 -  69%  
  F =  0 –  59%    

Caveats: NONE

Disabilities:

If you are a student with a disability, and if you will be requesting accommodations, it is your responsibility to contact Access Services. Access Services will recommend any appropriate accommodations to your professor and his/her director. The professor and director will identify for you which accommodations will be arranged.

JCCC provides a range of services to allow persons with disabilities to participate in educational programs and activities. If you desire support services, contact the office of Access Services for Students With Disabilities (913) 469-8500, ext. 3521 or TDD (913) 469-3885. The Access Services office is located in the Success Center on the second floor of the Student Center.