This course will explore several major areas of Islamic thought by examining
what each of them tells us about the nature of divine revelation, and how to
interpret it. We will ask four main questions: What does it mean for Muhammad
to be the Prophet of God? What is the Qur’an, and how does it relate
to other forms of revelation? How does one go about interpreting the Qur’an?
And how can God's law be deduced from his revelation? Through careful reading,
mostly of short translated selections from primary works in theology, Qur’anic
interpretation, and legal theory, we will discover a variety of answers that
have been given by Muslim traditionists, jurists, theologians, philosophers,
and mystics.
Goals
This seminar pursues two skills, one mapping goal, and one analytical goal:
To develop the desire and ability to learn through primary texts.
To develop the skills and ethics of discussion.
To develop a conceptual and
historical mental map of Islamic thought, as a framework for further learning.
To identify the tacit assumptions and stated principles that are shared
or debated in Islamic discourse, regarding the nature of revealed texts and
how to interpret them. To understand these findings in the tradition’s
own terms, as well as in terms of external analytical categories.
Requirements
To achieve these goals will require more thought than reading.
There are no textbooks to purchase; all readings will be provided as handouts,
and most
will consist of short translated sections of primary works by Muslim authors.
Time must be spent understanding the readings, and thinking about their implications.
In order to clarify our thinking, and to lay the basis for seminar discussion,
we will regularly put thoughts and questions in writing on LearnLink. Your
final grade will reflect your progress in the goals mentioned above, as demonstrated
through the following:
Thoughtful participation, via LearnLink and in seminar discussion, based
on careful reading (40%). LearnLink contributions should be posted by 8:00
p.m.
the evening before class. Attendance is expected, though up to three absences
will be excused.
Two short essays (25% each). Time devoted to working together
on these essays has been built into the class schedule.
The first essay should
set forth the interpretive issues relating to a particular passage
of Islamic scripture, or to the scriptural basis of a particular point
of Islamic law that is of special interest to you. The second essay should
explore the implications of some of the abstract ideas discussed
in the
seminar for the interpretation of the same passage(s).
Alternatively, for those who prefer to remain abstract or who have
no existing interest in any particular scriptural passages or concrete
issues,
the first essay could be an analytical argument based on a single assigned
reading from
the first half of the class. The second essay could advance a more
general
argument, drawing on a number of materials from the class, perhaps
expanding an idea from your first essay.
Mid-term and final written reflections on the success of the seminar
as a learning event, in which you evaluate your own progress and contribution
to the seminar,
as well as the contribution of the instructor and the other students to
your progress and to the seminar (5% each, graded s/u).
Schedule of classes
INTRODUCTION (3 CLASSES)
1/20 Course introduction. Participants’ backgrounds and connecting
ideas.
1/25 Defining some questions for the seminar. Some insights from recent
Euro-American hermeneutics.
Preparation: On LearnLink, introduce yourself and
describe your points of connection to the topic of the seminar.
Describe the religious background you bring to
the seminar, the ideas (however basic) of revelation and interpretation
that you are starting with, and some questions you want to try to
answer through
the seminar.
1/27 Lecture: The disciplines of Islamic thought, and their revelation
/ interpretation components.
Preparation: Read the Introduction to Fazlur Rahman’s
Islam & Modernity,
and al-Ghazzâlî on the religious sciences (Gätje 66-68).
REVELATION
(12 CLASSES)
The Nature of Prophethood
2/1 The Prophet as messenger: The Qur’an and
what it says about prophets in general, and about Muhammad’s prophetic
experience in particular.
Preparation: Read Sûra 51 (entire); 53:1-28;
and 42:48-53. On LearnLink, define a prophet, and then describe the
process of revelation, giving evidence
for each point.
2/3 The Prophet as model: the hadîth.
Preparation: Read Shafi‘i’s
Risâla, 109-122 (focus on the
last few pages.)
Check out and look through a volume of translated hadîth.
Be prepared to present some observations about the nature and structure of
an individual
hadîth, and of the book as a whole.
2/8 Traditional and modern understandings of prophethood.
Preparation:
Read Gätje 45-48, 57-59, and 62-63; and Fazlur Rahman, Major
Themes of the Qur’ân, 95 (last ) - 100 (first ).
2/10 Philosophical
analyses of prophethood.
Preparation: Read Fazlur Rahman, Prophecy in Islam,
part II (sections I, II, and IV). Be prepared to summarize Ibn Sina’s
theory of prophethood, and to point out passages that have particular
significance for the nature of revelation
and interpretation.
2/15 Orthodox responses to the philosophers’ views
of prophethood.
Preparation: Read Fazlur Rahman, Prophecy in Islam, part III.
On LearnLink, state the position of the figure you selected in class,
and suggest what its
implications might be for the nature of revelation and interpretation.
First
Paper
2/17 Group 1 discuss and research paper topics.
Preparation for all groups:
Post a tentative statement of topic to your personal
subconference on LearnLink.
2/22 Group 2 discuss and research paper topics.
Preparation for all groups:
Post your current statement of topic along with the full text of the
most relevant Qur’anic passages and/or hadith, to
your personal subconference on LearnLink.
2/24 Group 3 discuss and research
paper topics.
Preparation for all groups: Post your current statement of topic,
the full text of the most relevant Qur’anic passages and/or hadith,
and a tentative statement of what you think are the main interpretive
issues relating
to these
passages, to your personal subconference on LearnLink.
The nature of the Qur’an,
and its relation to other forms of revelation
2/29 A traditional definition
of the Qur’an and Sunna.
Preparation: Read selections from Mabâhith
fî ‘ulûm
al-qur’ân by Manna‘ al-Qattan.
3/2 The relationship of the
Sunna to the Qur’an.
Preparation: Read selection from al-Shatibi’s
Muwâfaqât.
Also review Shafi‘i’s Risâla 109-122, and read pp.
123-8.
3/7
The debate over the creation or eternality of the Qur’an.
Preparation:
Read chapter 2 from al-Ash‘ari’s Kitâb al-Luma‘ (skim
pp. 20-32, and focus on 27, 33, and 45); and selection from ‘Abd al-Jabbar’s
Sharh al-usûl al-khamsa.
3/9 The debate over the creation or eternality of the Qur’an, continued
(Focus on ‘Abd al-Jabbâr).
Turn in midterm class/self evaluation.
Spring break
INTERPRETATION (12 CLASSES)
Tafsîr (Qur’anic exegesis)
3/21 Review of disciplines studied and
issues raised so far. Introduction to tafsîr.
First paper due.
3/23 Traditional tafsîr.
Preparation: Read Mahmoud M. Ayoub, The Qur’an
and Its Interpreters, Vol. 2, 20-27 and 36-38 and 39-41 (Al-Tabari,
Ibn Kathir, and al-Qurtubi on
3:7).
3/28 Rationalist tafsîr.
Preparation: Read Ayoub, 27-31 and 38 and 41-42
(Zamakhshari and Razi on 3:7); and J. R. T. M. Peters, God’s Created
Speech, 100-102 (a summary of ‘Abd
al-Jabbar’s understanding of the Qur’an.)
3/30 Sufi tafsîr.
Preparation: Read Ayoub, 31-34 (Nisaburi and Ibn ‘Arabi
on 3:7); and Gätje 231-238 (focus on 235-237).
4/4 Modernist tafsîr.
Preparation: Read the “Principles” of
Sayyid Ahmad Khan; and Qutb on 3:7 (in Ayoub).
4/6 The occasions of revelation.
Preparation: Read selection from al-Suyuti’s
Al-itqân fî ‘ulûm
al-qur’ân.
Usûl al-fiqh: how to know God’s law from His revelation
4/11 The
discipline of usûl al-fiqh.
Preparation: Read through Al-Juwayni’s
Waraqât. Then reread carefully
the part from the beginning through the section on “Command and
Prohibition.”
4/13
The language of revelation.
Preparation: Reread carefully the part of al-Juwayni’s
Waraqât
from “The Divisions of Speech” through the first two paragraphs
of “Methods of Interpretation” (stop before “Consensus”).
4/18
The role of tradition in interpretation: Consensus and the transmission
of Hadîth.
Preparation: Reread carefully the part of al-Juwayni’s Waraqât
from the beginning of “Methods of Interpretation” through “Reports.”
Once
you have digested al-Juwaynî, you may also read Shafi‘i’s
Risâla, 285 - 287 (on consensus) and Shafi‘i’s Risâla,
239-240; then 179-182 and 202-206 (on Hadîth criticism.)
4/20 The role
of reasoning in interpretation: Analogy and diligent inquiry.
Preparation: Reread
carefully the part of al-Juwayni’s Waraqât
from “Analogy” through the end.
Once you have digested al-Juwaynî,
you may also read Shafi‘i’s
Risâla, 288 - 297 (stop at 544).
Second Paper
4/25 Mutual assistance and criticism on second paper.
Preparation: On LearnLink,
post draft thesis statement and tentative outline of argument.
4/27 Mutual assistance
and criticism on second paper, continued; and completion of institutional
class evaluation forms.
Turn in take-home final class/self evaluation.
Preparation: Continue work
on paper.
5/5 Second paper due by 4:30 p.m. in David’s mailbox in the
Religion office.
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expressed herein should not be taken as a position of or endorsement by the
University of Oklahoma.