Admission requirements
Description
This course offers an introduction into the history, thought, art and culture of the Shi’i world. Shi’i Islam not only plays a large role in present-day Iran and Iraq, but also in many other regions of the world, in Asia and the Middle East: for example in Lebanon, India, Yemen, Pakistan, Bahrein, Syria and Turkey. Today, Shi’i communities can be found around the globe. In this course, various aspects and characteristics of Shi’i Islam in a broad geographical framework will be examined. Past and present are closely connected in the world of the Shi’a. Insight into the long history of the Shi’a in the Islamic world contributes to a better understanding of the position of Shi’i Islam in all its varieties today. We will look for example at developments in Iran, which has been a Twelver-Shi’i state since the 16th century, and where the Shi’a is closely interwoven with politics, especially since the revolution of 1979. We will explore the global features of contemporary Isma’ili Shi’ism, which can boast a fascinating history that leads us for example to the fortresses of the Assassins in Syria and Iran. We will see how one of the least well-known branches of the Shi’a, the Zaydiyya, is related to the Houthi movement in present-day Yemen. The focus of the course is on the historical background and doctrines of the three branches of the Shi’a today, and in particular, the largest Shi’a denomination, the Twelvers. There will be ample attention for the material culture of Shi’i Islam, as exemplified by the grand pilgrimage complexes scattered around the Islamic world and the rich manuscript culture connected to Shi’i textual traditions, in Arabic, Persian and other languages. Material culture is connected in many cases to devotional practices, such as the great variety of Muharram rituals among Shi’i communities around the globe. The performative aspect of Shi’i Islam, of which a famous example is the ritual theatre or ta’ziya in commemoration of the events in Karbala in 680 CE, will be covered too in this course. Participants will be able to focus on their own area of interest within the Shi’i world in the assignments.
Course objectives
Knowledge, comprehension and ability to reproduce key information about Shi’ism and the Shi’i world
The ability to interpret and critically reflect on academic writings regarding the Shi’a
Engagement with material number of different disciplines (such as intellectual history, political history, material culture, anthropology)
Formulating questions and connections between sources
Leading class discussion about the course material
Close reading of primary sources, linking these sources to the larger themes of the course
The ability to identify and to assess the central arguments of a text
The ability to look at material culture and assess its function and influence within a particular context
Developing original insights from an engagement of primary and secondary sources, and building a research question based on these insights
Timetable
The timetables are available through My Timetable.
Mode of instruction
Lecture and seminar.
Assessment method
Assessment
Weighing
The final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average of the following:
| Examination | Weighing |
|---|---|
| Midterm exam | 20% |
| Written assignments | 40% |
| Final paper | 40% |
Resit
The resit will consist of a written exam to replace the final exam (40%)
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
Central course textbook:
Najam Haider, Shi'i Islam: An Introduction, Cambridge University Press, 2014, pages 51-83. Ebook available from the library.
It is strongly recommended that students purchase a physical copy, as they will be expected to read the book from cover to cover and have detailed knowledge its contents.
Additional materials will be introduced throughout the course.
Registration
Enrolment through MyStudyMap is mandatory.
General information about course and exam enrolment is available on the website
Contact
For substantive questions, contact the lecturer listed in the information bar on the right..
For questions about enrolment, admission, etc, contact the Education Administration Office Herta Mohr
Remarks
Please note that the additional course information is an integral part of this course description.