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BTI Consortium | Last Updated April 11, 2023 - 5:00PM
ISLAMIC STUDIES
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 3057
Intro to Islam through Prophetic Traditions
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
This course will engage in a critical reading and analysis of well-known Muslim prophetic traditions and a study of the practices of the Prophet Muhammad. Through analysis of Muslim prophetic traditions, such as �Hadith Jibril,� we will develop an understanding of the Islamic value systems, Islamic manners/etiquette and Prophetic Character. The fundamental building blocks such as Islam (the physical surrender of the body), Iman (internal truth), and Ihsan (excellence and beauty) will be closely examined. We will focus on Muslim spiritual care through these building blocks during the semester. We will also develop a framework for understanding core Islamic sciences, such as: Jurisprudence, creed/theology, and spiritual purification. Throughout various modalities and exercises, we will study how this framework can enable a deeper understanding of the practical issues affecting the lives of Muslims. We will have expert guest speakers from different disciplines such as pastoral care/chaplaincy (ministry), poetry & literature, counseling, psychology, education, social work, and medicine throughout the semester. These specialists will give us perspectives and practical tips on how prophetic traditions are applied in a Muslim�s life. This course will provide a basic understanding of the Islamic religion through the eyes of Muslims, while providing an in-depth understanding of the various dimensions of Islamic practices. Students from different backgrounds, with or without prior experience with Islam, will find much enrichment in this course diving into the practice through the lenses of prophetic traditions.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Kumek, Yunus
M
12:00-2:00pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F, Audit
Credits
4
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
Note: this is not an introduction to Christianity. Students should have a basic familiarity with the Bible and at least one church or denomination.
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 3176
What is Lived Islam?
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
What are the anthropological and historical approaches to studying Islam? How do our academic approaches help us engage the question: what is lived Islam? This course begins by considering how �Islam� is an object of academic inquiry but remains primarily concerned with the most prominent elements of Islam and being Islamic that have been marginalized within Islamic studies. It acknowledges the methodological difficulties involved in pursuing research on the phenomenon and practice of Islam across social contexts of the past and the present, while discussing possible methods of studying Islam as the everyday religion lived by Muslims and even non-Muslims. Students will be introduced to academic and religious sources that encourage us to (re)approach Islam as the everyday experience of believers, the multiverse of rituals and exercises of knowledge acquisition, as well as contests over moral authority. Students will, moreover, be encouraged to consider if a focus on lived Islam encourages us to discard regnant dichotomies of �textual� and �popular� religion, along with imagined divisions of the Islamic world into a center and peripheries. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1807.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Sevea, Teren
T
3:00-5:30pm
Grading Option
Letter
Credits
4
Professor Approval Req'd?
Y
Online?
N
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 3339
Exploring the Quran
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
This course explores the contents of the Quran and probes its place in the history of human civilization. Students will learn about and critically reflect on the following subjects: 1) the Quran�s core ideas, stories, laws, parables, and arguments; 2) the historical context in which the Quran was first promulgated and codified; 3) the relationship between the Quran and the preceding literary traditions of the ancient world, in particular the Bible and post-biblical Jewish and Christian writings; and 4) Muslim utilization of the Quran towards religious, intellectual, social, and cultural ends. To meet these goals, we will read a substantial portion of the Quran in translation and draw extensively on modern academic scholarship on the Quran. In addition, lectures will contextualize and complement our encounter with the Quranic text and secondary scholarship. By the end of the semester, students should have the ability to utilize various resources and concordances in order to independently conduct further investigations and critically evaluate claims made about the Quran.Course will have a required Thursday section. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion 1803.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Goudarzi, Mohsen
TR
10:30-11:45am
Grading Option
Letter, P/F
Credits
4
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
Beginners Greek (two semesters or the equivalent) is required. Enrollment for this course is limited. Please, reach out to the instructor (at gbazzana@hds.harvard.edu) with a short personal introduction and one paragraph detailing reasons to take this class. Students will be notified of the decision before the Crimson Cart deadline. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion xxxx.
School
Hartford International
HI-625-2
Modern Muslim Histories
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
This course offers an in-depth introduction to modern Muslim histories from the 16th to the 21st centuries. Utilizing a variety of sources, from primary to secondary and fiction, it engages big questions � modernity, �Muslim World,� colonialism, nationalism, globalization, diversity, memory, and religion � through case studies centered in and across sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East/Europe, south and southeast Asia, and North America.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Timur Yuskaev
W
4:00-6:50PM
Grading Option
Letter;P/F
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
ET-640
Introduction to Islamic Law
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
This course will provide a critical overview of the history and practice of Islamic law. We begin by examining the origins of Islamic law, the development of the classical schools of jurisprudence and the nature of pre-modern legal institutions, especially the courts and madrasa education. In following classes, we will explore the substance of classical Islamic law, especially in the areas of family, finance and international relations. Next, we will discuss the impact of colonialism and modernity on Islamic legal discourses and institutions and finish with a discussion of the way in which Islamic law is observed in contemporary America.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Suheil Laher
M
7 - 9:50PM
Grading Option
Letter;P/F
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 3172
Spiritual Cultivation in Islam Part II: The Modern Era
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
This course, as part of the new HDS Initiative on Islamic Spiritual Life and Service, is intended for students preparing for vocation in a variety of settings in which they will provide Islamically-inspired service and support. The course will acquaint students with Islamic pedagogy and practice on spiritual cultivation, highlighting the foundational importance of spiritual-ethical virtues in Islamic piety and the lifelong quest for nearness to and knowledge of God. In addition the course will: explore ways in which spiritual-ethical cultivation has been fostered holistically in the lived devotion of Muslim communities across time, place, and culture, including in various manifestations of the Islamic science of Sufism (ta_awwuf) and its traditional integration within educational and religious life and institutions, with attention to topics such as spiritual mentorship, spiritual training (tarbiya), spiritual companionship, oral tradition and transmission, devotional arts, and the creation of spaces for spiritual connection and service across religious, cultural, and social differences: engage the students in experiential-learning exercises to deepen their understanding of relevant concepts and practices; invite students to reflect upon what they are learning in relation to: their personal development, faith perspectives, and spiritual, ethical, intellectual, and vocational formation, the Islamically-inspired service they will provide within and beyond Muslim communities, ways to support their own and others' growth in this pursuit, language and approaches for engaging varied audiences with this topic and pursuit in their respective settings.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Abdur-Rashid, Khalil
T
3-5pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F
Credits
4
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
N
School
Harvard Divinity School
HDS 3338
The Prophet Muhammad in History, Devotion, and Polemic
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
In the early seventh century, a man named Mu_ammad son of _Abdallah founded a movement that in time grew into a global religion, empire, and civilization. This course introduces students to three discourses that developed around the life and character of the Prophet Muhammad. First, we will survey some of the biographies that Muslim scholars, both ancient and modern, have written about the life of their prophet. Second, we will explore how the Prophet's life, teachings and persona have served as subjects of Islamic devotion. Finally, the course examines some of the ways in which non-Muslims, again both ancient and modern, have perceived and portrayed Muhammad in polemic against Islam or dialogue with Muslims. Jointly offered in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences as Religion xxxx.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Goudarzi, Mohsen
W
3:00-5:00pm
Grading Option
Letter, P/F
Credits
4
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
HI-625-1
Modern Muslim Histories
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
This course offers an in-depth introduction to modern Muslim histories from the 16th to the 21st centuries. Utilizing a variety of sources, from primary to secondary and fiction, it engages big questions � modernity, �Muslim World,� colonialism, nationalism, globalization, diversity, memory, and religion � through case studies centered in and across sub-Saharan Africa, Middle East/Europe, south and southeast Asia, and North America.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Timur Yuskaev
W
4:00-6:50PM
Grading Option
Letter;P/F
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
N
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
N
School
Hartford International
AM-550
Quran Recitation/Tajweed
BTI Category
Semester
Islamic Studies
FA23
This course is designed for Muslim leaders and chaplains and anyone who is interested in learning and improving their Quranic recitation. Students will gain important knowledge on recitation of the Quran. In this course, the instructor will focus on correct pronunciation of Arabic letters and words with consistent application of tajweed rules.
Class time will be divided between teaching a tajweed lesson and group Tilawah, an exercise during which the teacher reads aloud and the students repeat after the teacher. There will be time for listening to the students� recitations, as well.
Once each student understands and is comfortable with the application of the tajweed rules, s/he can complete recitation of the entire mushaf at a better and faster pace and more independently, in sha Allah.
This course may be accompanied by the spring semester course AM-551: Quran Recitation/Tajweed II.
Professor
Class Day & Time
Okan Dogan
W
7 - 9:50PM
Grading Option
Letter;P/F
Credits
3
Professor Approval Req'd?
N
Online?
Y
Prerequisite?
N
Notes
N
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