Summer 2003

MES S321K • Prophet of Islam: Life/Times

Course Description

This course will study the life and career of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad. We will examine the beginning of his message in Mecca, the migration to and establishment of the Islamic state in Medina, and the conquest of Mecca. We will seek to understand the social and political background to the Prophet's message and the impact of that message on his historical context. We will focus on the doctrinal, social and political positions adopted by the Prophet and their impact on later Muslim society. Furthermore, we will analyze the different approaches taken by historians in interpreting and understanding the Prophets life.

Grading Policy

Class participation 25% Midterm Exam: 35% Final Exam: 40%

Texts

• Montgomery Watt, Muhammad, Oxford University Press • Martin Lings, Muhammad. Islamic Texts Society • Annemarrie Schimmel. And Muhammad is his messenger: the veneration of the Prophet in Islamic piety

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