REL 328 - Muhammad and the Qur’an

This course introduces students to the Qur’an (Koran) through diverse perspectives, including through its revelation, its assembly as a text, its interpreters, and the Qur’an as a material object. Students will examine the life of the Prophet Muhammad in conjunction with the revelation of the Qur’an as well as the importance of the Prophet’s own sayings and example in Islamic law and practice. We will examine interpretations of the Qur’an from different chronological, geographical, and gendered perspectives. Students will leave the class with an understanding of the role of the Qur’an for Muslims and Islam historically and in contemporary times, as well as debates surrounding it. We will also examine contemporary expressions of Islamophobia, considering how misunderstandings of the Qur’an and its contents contribute to fears of the text and Islam.

Unit(s): 1
Group Distribution Requirement(s): Distribution Group II
Prerequisite(s): REL 121 or REL 123
Instructional Method: Conference
Grading Mode: Letter grading (A-F)
Not offered: 2024-25
Group Distribution Learning Outcome(s):

Evaluate data and/or sources.
Analyze institutions, formations, languages, structures, or processes, whether social, political, religious, economic, cultural, intellectual or other.
Think in sophisticated ways about causation, social and/or historical change, human cognition, or the relationship between individuals and society, or engage with social, political, religious or economic theory in other areas.