Admission requirements
None.
Description
This course gives an introduction to the many ways Islam can be studied: historical, social, theological. We will address the origins of Islam, its sources, and the theological developments through the following centuries. Topics that will be discussed are: philosophy of Islam, mysticism, theological issues, sectarian divisions, law.
Course objectives
This course will provide the participant with basic knowledge of Islam and its different expressions in the Islamic world and elsewhere; it will also provide a first insight into the social and political context of religious views and the interaction between normative prescriptions and everyday religious experience.
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
- Lecture
Attendance is not obligatory for lectures. The conveners do not need to be informed in case of missed classes. Information and knowledge provided in the lectures greatly contribute to the subsequent courses of the programme. In order to pass the course, students are strongly advised to attend all sessions.
Assessment method
Two forms of assessment will be used:
a) Weekly Multiple Choice test: each week, a multiple choice test about the assigned literature and lecture of that week is to be made online (on Brightspace). The student can make that test anywhere during that week. The student can make the test only once and receive a score between 0 and 10; the average of all scores will be the grade. If the student misses a test, for whatever (justifiable) reason, the test result will be zero: there is no option to re-do a test.
b) Final Exam: open ('essay') questions about ALL literature and lectures.
NB: There will be no Midterm Exam
Weighing
MC tests: 40% (there are 12 MC tests, that together make up the 40%-grade)
Final Exam: 60%
Resit
The Resit Exam replaces the grade of the Final Exam. Resit can only be taken if a) the Final Exam grade is less than 5.5, OR b) if the final calculated exam is less than 5.5.
No Resit is possible for the MC tests.
Inspection and feedback
How and when an exam review will take place will be disclosed together with the publication of the exam results at the latest. If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will have to be organized.
Reading list
Aaron W. Hughes, Muslim identities: An Introduction to Islam (Columbia University Press, 2013)
Registration
BA1 students Midden-Oostenstudies and BA1 Religiewetenschappen will be enrolled by the Vrieshof Education Administration Office.
Students of the Minor Religion in a changing World: please enroll on the waiting list and send an email with your interest to stuco-ba-religion@hum.leidenuniv.nl.
Students of the minor Islam: Religion and Society will be enrolled by the Vrieshof Education Administration Office.
Premaster students starting in 22-23: will be enrolled by the Vrieshof Education Administration Office. Further information on availability and the enrolment procedure will be provided by email in July.
Contact
For questions regarding registration, please contact De Vrieshof Education Administration Office