Admission requirements
This course is only open to:
Students of the BA programme Midden-Oostenstudies or Religiewetenschappen
Students of the minor Islam: Religion and Society, who have successfully completed the propedeutic exam of an (Academic) Bachelor programme.
Description
This course treats selected topics from the study of rituals and symbols of both Sunni and Shi’i Islam. It offers an overview of the rituals according to Islamic law and the ritual practice. Topics include: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, sacrifice, Ashura, lifecycle rituals, spiritual practices, food and dress. A field trip to a mosque forms part of the course.
Course objectives
After successfully completing the course, the student is able:
to recognize how theoretical perspectives in the study of rituals shape our understanding of Islamic rituals and symbols;
to provide an in-depth overview of Islamic prescriptions and ritual practice of rituals and symbols discussed in class;
to conduct a critical literature review of a given ritual or symbol;
to report about it orally and in writing.
Timetable
Timetable BA Midden-Oostenstudies Timetable minor Islam
Mode of instruction
Seminar.
Attendance and active participation are obligatory for seminars. Students are required to prepare for and attend all sessions. The convenors need to be informed without delay of any classes missed for a good reason (i.e. due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, family issues, problems with residence permits, the Dutch railways in winter, etc.). In these cases it is up to the discretion of the convener(s) of the course whether or not the missed class will have to be made up with an extra assignment. The maximum of such absences during a semester is two. Being absent without notification and/or more than two times can result in exclusion from the term end exams and a failing grade for the course.
Course Load
Total 140 hrs = 5 EC
weekly meetings 11 × 2 hrs, 22 hrs
field trip to mosque, 4 hrs
weekly reading assignments, 30 hrs
10 questions and comments on readings, 5 hrs
4 profiles providing an overview of the Islamic prescriptions relating to the following four rituals: prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and marriage (maximum of two pages per ritual), 12 hrs
field trip journal of maximum 750 words, 7 hrs
presentation and final paper on one of the themes or rituals discussed in class: extra reading on ritual of one’s choice, 30 hrs; preparation for presentation, 10 hrs; final paper of 2000 words, 20 hrs.
Assessment method
Assessment
4 profiles providing an overview of the Islamic prescriptions relating to prayer, fasting, pilgrimage, and marriage
10 Q&Cs: Questions and comments on readings
Field trip journal
Final paper
Weighing
the final mark for the course is established by determining the weighted average:
Profiles: 20%
Q&Cs :20%
Field trip journal: 10%
Final paper: 50%
Resit
There is no resit for the profiles, the Q&Cs and the field trip journal.
The paper is written in two stages: a first version presented in class and a final version that will be graded. Students will receive comments on the first version presented in class. Only the final version, which can be a substantially improved version of the one presented in class, will be graded.
Exam Review
If a student requests a review within 30 days after publication of the exam results, an exam review will be organized.
Reading list
Literature for the first two sessions:
Heiko Henkel, “‘Between Belief and Unbelief Lies the Performance of Salāt’: Meaning and Efficacy of a Muslim Ritual”, in Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute 11 (2005), 3, 487–507.
Daniel Winchester. “Embodying the Faith: Religious Practice and the Making of a Muslim Moral Habitus.” Social Forces 86 (2008), 4, 1753–1779.
A full list of weekly readings will be provided at the beginning of the course.
Registration
Students are required to register through uSis
Registration Studeren à la carte and Contractonderwijs
Not applicable.