Syllabus Religion/CMLT 4307
Comparative Islamic Literature, Dr. Godlas, Spring 2007
Office,
217 Peabody, phone 2-1486; Email:godlas@uga.edu
Website: www.uga.edu/islam
Course
Description
An
analytical and hermeneutical method will be used to view significant texts from
most of the major genres of Islamic literature. The primary genres covered will be Qur'an, hadith, Qur'anic
literature, philosophy, theology, historiography, hagiography, and poetry,
emphasizing the Medieval period and mystical prose and poetry primarily in
Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. The works will be in English translation.
Objective
of Course:
The
objective of the course is both to introduce the major genres and masterpieces
of Islamic literature as well as to provide students with basic concepts and an
analytical framework necessary for understanding and comparing Islamic texts.
Paper:
Comparative
Religiological 14-20 pages
Grading:
Test 1: 15%
Midterm: 20 %
Final 20 %
Paper: 35 %
Class participation, misc. assignments: 10%
Prerequisites:
Junior or Senior standing or permission of the
department.
Schedule of Classes and
Readings
Week 1-2
Jan.
9-18
Class Introduction, Religiology, and
Hermeneutical Understanding, and Islam
Read
by the weekend of the first week.
Esposito,
"10 Things Everyone Needs to Know about Islam,"
http://arabworld.nitle.org/texts.php?module_id=2&reading_id=62&sequence=1
http://www.cqpress.com/context/articles/epr_islam.html (Professor Voll teaches at George
Washington University. This
article was published in Congressional Quarterly, 2001.) A term sheet for this article
will be put on WebCT.
Kaltner, "Talking
With Churches About Islam," (Professr Kaltner teaches at Rhodes College in
Memphis, TN. The article is on a Christian website, the Congregational Resource
Guide.)
http://www.congregationalresources.org/kaltner.asp
Thursday of Week 2, hand in
Religiological Interviews
Week 3 Tues. Test on articles
Jan 23-Feb 1
Week 3-4
Comparative Qur’anic Readings
in Translation, Surah 1 (The opening),
Surat Ya Sin #36, and Surah’s
93-114. See the link on WebCT.
Tabari tafsir: Basmala, pp. 54-59 and commentary 1:1-1:6, pp.
61-74.
Gatje, Qur'an and Its
Exegesis (Zamakhshari, Tabari, Baydawi on Jesus) pp. 120-129.
Baqillani, Rhetorical Figures
in the Qur'an: pp. 1-5.
Week 5
Hadith Bukhari, Interpretation of Dreams:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/087.sbt.html
Ahadith qudsiya, Forty Hadith
Qudsi, read #s 1-20.
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/hadithqudsi.html
Sira (bio. of Prophet)
Ibn Is'haq, The Life of the
Prophet, pp. 104-107 (advent of revelation)
Tabari, Tarikh: The Last
Years of the Prophet, v. 9, pp. 183-189 (the death of the Prophet).
Tabari, Tarikh, From the
Creation to the Flood, v. 1, pp. 249-257 (Iblis); And Tarikh, Muhammad at Mecca, v. 6, pp. 67-80 (the manner
of the first revelation until the ascension).
Sahih Muslim, The Book of Vision:
http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/muslim/029.smt.html
Ibn Seerin's (pseud.)
Dictionary of Dreams, pp. 292-296 (seeing Muhammad in a dream)
Week 6 Historiography
Ibn Sa'd (d. 845), The Great Biographical Collection,
"Women of Madina", pp. 9-21.
Ibn Khallikan (d. 1282),
Biographical Dictionary, vol. 3, pp. 205-217 (Ibn Tumart); pp. 321-328
(Zamakhshari); pp. 348-351 (Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj)
Muqaddimah, historical
criticism, Ibn Khaldun, "The Science of Sufism" pp. 75-83 and
"Sufism defended" 99-103
Travel Lit: Ibn Battuta (14th
cent) Travels, pp. 299-306, 312-321(Shiraz)
Week 7 Al-Ghazali (d. 1111),
The Precious Pearl, on death and
the hereafter, pp. 32-36, 40-43, 48-55.
Ismaili literary
philosophy: Ikhwan al-safa v. 2,
pp. 202-208 (micro/macro); 219-225 (way to God);
Suhrawardi, The Philosophy of
Illumination, pp. 141-50 (reincarnation and souls), 156-63 (states of
wayfarers, author's exhortation).(every other page is Arabic)
recommended: Shi'ite
Philosophy, Mullah Sadra (d. 1641) "concluding testament," pp.
250-258.
Week 8 20th century
Khomeini, Islam and
Revolution, pp. 365-77. (lect. on Fatiha).
Muhammad Qutb, "Islam:
The Misunderstood Religion," 231-237, 265-69.
Gulen: Questions This Modern
Age Puts to Islam: Wives of the Prophet (online). http://members.cox.net/ameer1/questislam.html
Amina Wadud, Aishah's Legacy
(online)
http://www.newint.org/issue345/legacy.htm
Egyptian Salafi, Syed Qutb,
"Political Theory in Islam," (from Social Justice in Islam) pp.113-126; and 315-319
Modern: Nursi, Supreme Sign,
pp. 19-27 (pages are very small)
Muslim Women's League, An
Islamic Perspective on Sexuality
http://www.mwlusa.org/publications/positionpapers/sexuality.html
Week 9--Sufi Compendia,
Kalabadi (d. 995 ), pp. v.-
viii, 90-94.
Qushayri (d. 1072),
al-Risalah (tr. Godlas), pp. 88-93; Ansari (d. 1089), (One-hundred
Battlefields, pp. 93-98).
Razi, The Path of God's
Bondsmen, pp. 268-278 (dhikr/zekr)
recommended: Hujwiri (d.
1072-1076), pp. 374-379 (Contraction, expansion, and other states).
Week 10
Hagiography:
Sulami, Early Sufi Women
"Rabi'a et al" pp. 74-86; (Ibn al-Jawzi on Rabi'a) 276-82 (even
pages)
Attar, Muslims Saints and
Mystics, Rabi'a pp. 39-51, Ibn 'Ata, pp. 236-238; Somnun, pp. 239-242.
Ibn 'Arabi, Sufis of Andalusia, pp. 69-83.
Mohammad ebn-e Monavvar (late
12th century), Secrets of God's Mystical Oneness (on Abu Sa'id Abu l-Khayr (d.
1049) pp. 89-92, 260-269, 433-438.
Eflaki, Menaqibu al-arifin,
Stories of Rumi, pp. 20-28
Spring Break
Week 11
al-Ghazali, Deliverance from
Error (online) at
http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/gz/md/gz101.htm
Autobiography, Sufi Ruzbihan,
Unveiling of Secrets pp. 9-15 (Persian)
Ibn 'Ajiba, Autobiography,
pp. 76-83, 118-23.
Week 12
Ibn al-'Arabi, Fusus, pp.
50-53
Bursevi, Commentary on the Fusus, pp. 93-98
Iraqi, Flashes, pp. 73-83
Week 13
Sufi treatises from Turkey, Malaysia, Indo-Pakistan
Badruddin of Simawna (d.
1420), Inspirations, pp. 147-152. (Jesus)
Malay Sufi: Hamzah Fansuri,
Drink of the Lovers, pp. 431-447
Shah Waliyullah (d. ) Sata'at
(Illuminations) pp. 101-112.
Sufi Apologetics and Criticism of Sufis
'Ayn al-Qudat al-Hamadani (d.
1131) A Sufi Martyr, pp. 59-68 (Apologetics)
Ibn al-Jawzi (d. 1200) The
Devil's Delusion, pp. 362-64, 633-635,393-398
Week 14
Conversations
Nizam al-Din Awliya d.
1325, Conversations (Malfuzat) pp.
245-254.
Aphorisms:
Ibn 'Ata ullah (d. 1309),
Book of Wisdom, pp. 47-53.
Supplications:
Abdullah Ansari (d. 1089),
Intimate Conversations, 182-189.
Letters:
Ibn 'Abbad of Ronda d. 1390,
Letters on the Sufi Path, pp. 69-79.
Maneri, 100 letters,
(shaykhs) pp. 25-34.
Week 15-- Mystical Lyric
poetry:
Ibn Arabi Tarjuman al-ashwaq,
pp. 48-53, pp. 66-70.
Ibn al-Farid, pp. 74-87.
'Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani
Emanations of Lordly Grace (The Wine Ode), pp. 80-84.
Rumi, Divan-e Shams, pp.
8-11, 28-31, 108-111, 124-127,170-73, 184-87
Hafiz, Divan, pp. 1-5, 14-17,
36-37
lyric poetry Turkish and Urdu
Ahmet Yesevi, Divan-e Hikmet,
pp. 61-81.
Yunus Emre, pp. 112-114,
117-124.
Ghalib, Ghazals of Ghalib,
pp. 84-96
Week 16--Didadactic Poetry:
'Attar (d. before 1220), The
Conference of the Birds, pp. 166-74, 181-87,191-93, 196-97, 201-06.
Rumi (d. 1235), Mathnawi
(Nicholson trans.), v. 1 pp. 5-6, 76, 81-83, 160-64, 310-17; v. 4, pp.
394-398. Barks trans. pp.
17-19= Nicholson pp. 5-6; Barks 193-197 (Three Fish) = Nicholson v. 4, pp.
394-398
Shabistari (d. 1339), pp.
85-92, 97-99.
Finals May 3, Thurs. 3:30 - 6:30 pm
Honesty Policy
The UGA Academic Honesty Policy will be followed. In
other words, all academic work must meet the standards contained in "A
Culture of Honesty." Students are responsible for informing
themselves about those standards before performing any academic work. The link
to more detailed information about academic honesty can be found at http://www.uga.edu/ovpi/honesty/acadhon.htm
Changes to this Syllabus
The instructor reserves the
right to make any changes to this syllabus. The course syllabus is a general
plan for the course; deviations announced to the class by the instructor may be
necessary. Changes will be posted on WebCT or handed out.