RT1226: Understanding Muslim Scriptures

School	Religion
Department Code	SHARE
Module Code	RT1226
External Subject Code	100796
Number of Credits	20
Level	L5
Language of Delivery	English
Module Leader	Dr Muhammad Ali
Semester	Double Semester
Academic Year	2014/5

Outline Description of Module

The purpose of this module is to provide an introduction to the two principle textual sources of Islam: The Qur’an and Hadith. Muslims believe that the Qur’an is the Word of God sent to Muhammad to guide humanity. The Hadith is the documentation to Muhammad’s lived experience of the Qur’an and forms the first exegesis of the Qur’an. This module covers their history, codification, structure, content and style and their relation to each other. It also covers their importance in Muslim law, ethics, theology and society and their significance in the modern world. Contemporary issues such as jihad, women, religion, marriage, modernity etc. will be looked at through the prisms of scripture.

The first part of the module examines the nature of revelation, the history of the compilation and codification of the Qur’an, themes, structures, content and style. Students will also learn about exegesis of the Qur’an, the Qur’an as art and the Qur’an as melody (qira’at). Students will get to read selected passages from the Qur’an and discuss themes and their importance and significance in the modern world. Students will also learn about Western Orientalist studies on the Qur’an.

The second part of this module focuses on the Hadith literature. How were Muhammad’s practices documented? What relationship does the Hadith have with the Qur’an? Students will learn about the major intellectual tensions between the textualists (hadith scholars) and the rationalists. Students will also learn about the major genre of Hadith books, Hadith codification and classification. They will examine different Hadith texts on theology, law and ethics. They will be introduced to modern debates over non/importance of hadith for Muslims in the modern world. They will also learn about Western Orientalist studies on Hadith.

On completion of the module a student should be able to

On successful completion of the module a student will be able to:

· Have developed a distinct understanding of the historical and conceptual significance of the Qur’an and Hadith

· Understand the role they play in Muslim faith and practice

· Issues related to interpretation and hermeneutics. The debate between reading scriptures as open and closed texts?

· Will know the state of Qur’an and Hadith studies in Western academic discourse.

How the module will be delivered

· Informal lecturing

· Audio-visual resources

· Student presentations

· Reading of selected printed material for class discussion

Skills that will be practised and developed

· Communication skills using a range of approaches such as presentations and group discussions

· Information management skills (retrieval, evaluation, analysis)

· People skills such as team/group working, recognition of diversity)

· Personal skills (time management, personal responsibility and the ability to continue learning

How the module will be assessed

Assessment will be by means of :

(a) A book review of 500 words (worth 10% of the final module mark)

(b) An essay of 2,000 words (worth 60% of the final module mark)

Assessment Breakdown

Type	%	Title	Duration(hrs)
Exam - Spring Semester	30	Understanding Muslim Scriptures	1.5
Written Assessment	60	Understanding Muslim Scriptures	N/A
Written Assessment	10	Understanding Muslim Scriptures	N/A

Syllabus content

Semester 1:

1. Introduction the Qur’an: it’s importance and significance in Islam

2. Types of Qur’anic revelation

3. Structure of the Qur’an (Surah, Makki madani verses)

4. Compilation and Canonization of the Qur’an

5. The Exegetical Tradition (from Tabari to Qutb)

6. The Qur’an in literature, art and music

7. Selected readings: Law

8. Selected readings: ethics

9. Qur’an and the modern Muslim

10. Qur’an and Western Orientalist Studies

Semester 2:

1. Introduction to Hadith: It’s importance and significance in islam

2. History and canonization of Hadith

3. The age of the Sahih, al-Bukhari and the canonical collections

4. Authentication and authority: the development of hadith criticism (jarh wa ta’dil)

5. Classical Muslim opposition to the Hadith

6. Modern Muslim opposition to Hadith

7. Hadith in the Modern age

8. Selected readings: ethics

9. Selected reading: law

10. Hadith and Wester Orientalist studies

Essential Reading and Resource List

Please see Background Reading List for an indicative list.

Background Reading and Resource List

Indicative Reading and Resource List

Qur’an:

Abdel Haleem, Muhammad. Understanding the Qur’an: Themes and Style. London: I.B. Tauris, 1999.

Ayoub, Mahmoud. The Qur’an and its Interpreters. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press, 1984 and 1992.

Boullata, Issa J., ed. Literary Structures of Religious meaning in the Qur’an. Richmond, Surrey, UK: Curzon, 2000.

Campbell, William F. The Qur’an and the Bible in the Light of History and Science. Upper Darby, PA: Middle East Resources, 1986.

Cragg, Kenneth. The Event of the Qur’an: Islam in its Scripture. Oxford: Oneworld, 1994.

Cragg, Kenneth, trans. Readings in the Qur’an. San Francisco: Collins, 1988. (good introduction)

Gätje, Helmut. The Qur’an and its Exegesis: Selected Texts with Classical and Modern Muslim Interpretations. Alfred T. Welch, trans., ed. Oxford: Oneworld, 1996.

Guillaume, A., translator. The Life of Muhammad: A Translation of Ishaq’s Sirat Rasul Allah. Karachi, Pakistan: Oxford University Press, 1967.

Haddad, Yvonne Yazbeck, and Wadi Zaidan Haddad, eds. Christian-Muslim Encounters. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 1995.

Ibn Warraq, ed. The Origins of the Koran: Classic essays on Islam’s holy book. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1998.

Ibn Warraq, ed. What the Koran Really Says: Language, text and commentary. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 2002.

Jomier, Jacques. The Bible and the Qur’an. Edward P. Arbez, trans. San Francisco:

Kassis, Hanna E. A Concordance of the Qur’an. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1985. [Reference]

Marshall, David. God, Muhammad and the Unbelievers: A Qur’anic study. Surrey, England: Curzon, 1999.

Rahbar, Muhammad Daud. God of Justice: A study in the ethical doctrine of the Qur’an. Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1960.

Reeves, John C., ed. Bible and Qur’an: Essays in scriptural intertextuality. Atlanta: Society of Biblical Literature, 2003.

Rippin, Andrew. Muslims: Their Beliefs and Practices. Second Edition. London: Routledge, 2001.

Seale, M.S. Qur’an and Bible: Studies in Interpretation and Dialogue. London: Croom Helm, 1978.

Sell, Edward. The Historical Development of the Qur’an. London: Simpkin, Marshall, Hamilton, Kent, 1923.

Sherif, Faruq. A Guide to the Contents of the Qur’an. London: Ithaca Press, 1985. Stanton, H.U. Weitbrecht. The Teaching of the Qur’an: With an account of its growth and a subject interest. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1919.

Tisdall, W. St. Clair. The Original Sources of the Qur’an. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1905.

Hadith:

Azami, Mustafa. Studies in Ḥadīth Methodology and Literature (American Trust Publication: 1977).

Brown, Jonathan. Hadith: Muhammad's Legacy in the Medieval and Modern World (Oxford : Oneworld, 2009).

Burton, John, Introduction to the Tradition (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2000).

Dickinson, Eerik. An Introduction to the Science of the Ḥadīth (Kitāb Maʿrifat anwāʿ ʿilm al-ḥadīth) Ibn al-Ṣalāh al-Shahrazūrī (Reading: Garnet Publishing Limited, 2006).

Hallaq, Wael. An Introduction to Islamic Law (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009).

Motzki, Harald, with Nicolet Boekhoff-van der Voort and Sean Anthony. Analysing Muslim Traditions Studies in Legal, Exegetical and Maghāzī Ḥadīth (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 2010).

Motzki, Harald (ed.) Hadith: Origins and Development (Aldershot : Variorum, 2004).

Schacht, Joseph. The Origins of Muhammadan Jurisprudence. 2nd edi. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1953).

Schoeler, Gregor. The Genesis of Literature in Islam: from the Aural to the Read (Edinburgh : Edinburgh University Press, 2009).

Shah, Mustafa (ed.). The Hadith. 4 Vols. (Critical Concepts in Islamic Studies Series) (London; New York: Routledge, 2010).

Siddiqi, Muhammad, Hadith Literature: its Origin, Development, Special Features and Criticism (Cambridge: Islamic Texts Society, 1993).

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