Islamic Studies

 

HISU 435 01 – The Qur'an and Its Place in Muslim Life (3 Credit)

The place of the Qur’an in the Muslims life is significant. The course will explore the Qur’an’s role in Muslim culture and daily life, and how it provides a guide to its traditions and sources of interpretation. This course surveys the Qur’an and what it has to say about humanity and its purpose and history, ritual, virtues and ethics, women, gender, race, sexuality, family, and much more. Students will examine different traditional and contemporary methodologies in understanding the Qur’an. A research component is added to this course where the students will develop skills that enable them to deepen their understanding and allow them to analyze different modern critical issues. The instructional method combines lecture-discussion with actual case studies, guest speaker, attending events, multimedia instruction and interactive student presentations.

 

HISU 317 01 Ethics and Prophetic Tradition in Islam (3 Credit)

The subject of ethics essentially comprises a twofold objective, it evaluates human practices by calling upon moral standards, and also it gives prescriptive guidance on how to act morally in a given situation. Islamic ethical values and moral concepts are both universal and specific. This course will explore the great emphasis in Islam on ethical aspects of human conduct derived from the Quranic and Prophetic tradition/sunna, hadith and sīra. This course will examine the Islamic moral and ethical system where the principles of Islamic law is linked to the exemplary conduct of all the prophets, especially Prophet Muhammad, in a manner that is appropriate to an actual ethical case. Students will analyze issues from Islamic perspective, such as wealth and poverty, war and peace, race, gender and sexuality, medical and environmental ethics, family and social justice. Universal Ethics will be explored and analyzed. At the end of this course, students will work together to develop a declaration of Universal Ethics in a diverse, yet unified for faith communities and institutions. A research component is also added to this course where the students read thoroughly and critically in order to arrive to a comprehensive conclusions. The instructional method combines lecture-discussion with actual case studies, guest speaker, attending events, multimedia instruction and interactive student presentations.

 

BSRL 410 01 Course Sacred Text and Hermeneutics (3 Credit)

This course is unique in its nature and structure. This is the team-taught course about Sacred Texts and Hermeneutics offered at the School of Divinity, which will be led by two professors in Biblical and Qur’ānic Studies. The course will introduce different hermeneutical theories, exegetical methods, and theological perspectives. Each class session will include a lecture on particular sacred texts and methods, to provide an opportunity for students to engage the professors and each other on the hermeneutical insights and other implications of the material. This provides a context for recognition of interconnections between texts that might not be immediately identifiable. The course surveys the development of theories of interpretation and exegesis from classical to contemporary time and shows the relation between the theory of interpretation and the understanding of theology. The course will especially attend to the influence of nineteenth- and twentieth-century theories of interpretation upon sacred texts, with an explicit focus on engaging twenty-first century approaches and debates about the importance of interpretation for religious and theological studies. This course fulfills the M.Div. New Testament exegesis requirement and is also required for the M.A. concentrations in Biblical and Islamic Studies.

HISU 315 01 Women, Gender & Family in Islam (3 Credit)

This is a foundational course in an emerging interdisciplinary field that takes Muslim Women' Studies for its focus. The course defines a conceptual framework for examining social questions through engaging the Qur'an as the transcendent record of revealed guidance and the Prophetic model in a moral economy postulating creation, justice, freedom and responsibility. Students will explore the women question, feminist and womanist, gender and family structure in a framework that integrates empirical and normative perspectives. Students will analyze teachings and practices of the contemporary debate on women in Islam by surfacing specific issues such as family structure, marriage, divorce, wealth and poverty; woman and modern war, slavery and sex trafficking; sexuality and spirituality; education; and social justice. Students will compare and contrast between different women’s trends and movements in the modern world with special attention on African-American women movements and activism.  Students will develop together a document that envisions the future of women, children and family.

 

HISU 430 01 Dialogue with Islam in a Christian society (3 Credit)

This course introduces an internal view of the beliefs, practices, institutions, and history of Islam. This course explores the emergence and development of Islam as both a religion, a culture and civilization. The extensive course work and authentic hands-on methodologies fosters critical thinking, placing students at the forefront of current events and intriguing conversation within the Christian-Muslim community. It examines Islam's origins, historical development of its basic metaphysical, essential doctrines, and the present state of the Muslim modern world. The course fosters creative and authentic analysis to the economic, political and social challenges involving Muslims. The instructional method includes lecture, multimedia instruction, interactive student presentations, and group discussion. Dialoguing on how to establish a pluralistic community embracing the higher values is an important objective of this course. Upon the completion of the course, students will be trained to design, organize and facilitate a World Café Dialogue, as part of the course curriculum.

 

HISU Islamic Law and American Constitution (3 Credit)

The goal of the course is to equip students with a deeper understanding of Islamic law in historical and contemporary forms. It is designed to give students a firm grounding in the principles, concepts and terminology of Islamic law and enhances team effectiveness as well as hands-on-experiences. This includes a critical analysis of the legal history, jurisprudential development, and the schools of Islamic law, evolution of the law up to the present, and its contemporary applications.  Case studies relate to family, commercial, criminal law and other key issues of social responsibility will be examined. Guest speakers including judges, Professors of law and lawyers will be invited to explain important principles and concepts of the American constitution and beyond. No previous familiarity with the field is necessary and there are no course prerequisites.  All readings will be in English. The instructional method combines lecture-discussion with actual case studies, guest speaker, attending events, site visitation, multimedia instruction and interactive student presentations.

HISU 240 01 Islam and the African American Experience (3 Credit)

The course will examine the history of Islam in America with the focus on African American experience. An interdisciplinary introduction to the basic concepts and literature in the disciplines covered by African-American studies. The course will provide critical analysis of historical, religious, political, social, and economic forces in shaping cultural expression. Attention will be given to the interaction between the shared Islamic identity and the distinctive local expressions of Muslim faith and life. Assessment of contemporary African American Muslim community in terms of its institutions, style of life, patterns of work and intergroup relations will be explored. The course provides the students with an opportunity to understand the main challenges Black community faced since slavery times to present. Students also examine how the overlap of race-class-gender identities create diverse notions of American Muslim experience. Upon the end of the course work, students will design an event that illustrate the contribution of African American communities to humanity.

 

HISU 336 01 Islam in Africa: History and Culture (3 Credit)

African civilizations in the Mediterranean and sub-Saharan regions have shaped world history. This course is intended to introduce the student to the history of Africa from the emergence of Islam to the Present day. Students will critically examine how African civilization developed and interacted, with Islamic belief, values, principles and practices. Students will approach African history from a variety of perspectives that critically explore scholarly debates over African identities and contemporary development. The practice of Islam in the continent is not static and is constantly being reshaped by prevalent social, economic, and political conditions. Interdisciplinary exploration into the cultures and societies of West, East, North and South Africa will be explored. A research component is also added to this course where the students read thoroughly and critically in order to arrive to a comprehensive conclusions. The instructional method combines lecture-discussion, guest speaker, attending events, multimedia instruction and interactive student presentations.

HISU 435 01 – Introduction to the Qur'an (3 Credit) Elective

An understanding of the Qur’an is essential for analyzing much of the news and current events in our contemporary world. This course introduces students to the Book of the Islamic faith and civilization. The Qur'an has been sent down as both written and recited text; the combined effect has bound Muslims together into a vast community with a common creed, liturgy, and moral/legal system. The Qur'an is the source of knowledge, literacy, religion, and morals. Students will gain general understanding of the Qur’an in terms of its form, content, history and its impact on forming Muslim communities. The students will learn about methods in exegeses and hermeneutic. Using a multimedia and student-centered approach, students will develop the skills and context to read the text themselves. This approach enables students to explore the influence of the Quran on diverse Muslim understandings of Islam. No previous knowledge of Islam or Religious Studies is required.

 

HISU 240  01 - Islam in America (3 credit) Elective

This course will examine the experiences of indigenous and immigrant American Muslims. The course will explore the history of Islam in America. Attention will be given to the interaction between the shared Islamic identity and the distinctive local expressions of Muslim faith and life. Political, legal, social, artistic, and cultural dimensions of American Muslim experience will be analyzed. In particular, students explore the development of social, cultural and intellectual institutions in the construction of a diverse American Muslim community. Students also examine issues such as gender, class, race and inter-religious relations. How does the overlap of race-class-gender identities create diverse notions of American Islam? What are the contributions of Muslims to American society? 

 

HISU 495 01 Prophethood in the Bible and In the Qur'an (3 Credit)

The proposed team taught course has an impressive syllabus with critical readings that would be of great benefit to the students as they become more informed about how the ancient concept and office of the Prophet had a great impact on shaping aspects of ancient and modern Civilizations. The course explores the identity, function, and legacy of the prophets in Islamic and Christian tradition. Much of our work in this course will involve a close comparative exploration of the way Bible and Qur'ān render shared characters and narrative scenarios. We will compare, isolate, and analyze their similarities and differences with a view toward unpacking their broader significance. Prophets include but will not necessarily be limited to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Mary, and Muhammad. Careful attention will also be given to the cultural issues surrounding the generation and promulgation of competing character profiles within kindred scriptures, as well as to the development of textuality as a marker of authority. This course is also considered the cornerstone of the field of interreligious studies and dialogue.

 

BSOT 225 01 201 Women in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran

This course is unique in its nature and structure. It is a team-taught course on a timely topic, women in the two sacred texts. Students will compare and contrast theological debate amongst feminists, womanists, and general theologians. The students discern how the stories of the women in the two sacred text connect with contemporary issues in the lives of men and women. They discover ways of communicating the messages coming from these stories in faith communities today. This course is also considered the cornerstone of the field of interreligious studies and dialogue.