INTRODUCTION

Course Description

PHR-126 The Islamic Scriptures is an introductory study of the origins, content, and meaning of the primary sacred text of Islam, the Koran (Qur'an). The relationship between the Koran and the Hadith (a record of the sayings and actions of Muhammad) will also be discussed.

3 lectures, 3 credits

General Education Course – Humanities Elective

Student Learning Objectives:

As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, students will be able to

1. identify and discuss, both orally and in writing, the historical, cultural, and religious
background and development of Islam;
2. identify the major teachings and themes in the Koran and Hadith and explain their
historical and theological significance;
3. identify the various Islamic traditions (e.g., Sunnism, Shiism, Sufism, and others) and
explain the differences between them;
4. identify and explain the major differences between Islam and other major religions;
5. identify and explain the ways in which Islam has shaped the development of social,
political, literary, and cultural institutions in the Islamic world; and
6. state and support their own views on issues in biblical criticism and interpretation, both
orally and in writing, and with logical and critical precision, clarity, and rigor.

In pursuit of the foregoing objectives, the course is based on the reading and discussion of both primary and secondary texts on Islam; the basic principles and methods of critical thinking are introduced; students are encouraged to participate actively in class discussions; and students are required to do substantial expository and critical writing in response to the material presented in the course.

Course Texts and/or Other Study Materials

Irving, T.B. The Qur'an: The Noble Reading.
An-Nawawi, Yahia bin Sharaful-Deen. Forty Hadith.
Emerick, Yahiya. Understanding Islam (currently The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Islam).