Below is the list of courses offered at the Institute of Islamic Studies in Fall 2020. Due to the challenges of remote teaching and learning, there are some changes to be expected. Please see below videos, in which professors explain what changes have been made to make your learning experience effective and enjoyable.
For the course syllabi, please see here.
ISLA 200
Islamic Civilization
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: An introduction to, and survey of, the religious, literary, artistic, legal, philosophical and scientific traditions that constituted Islamic civilization from the 7th Century until the mid-19th Century.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Fall
- Note: All readings are in English.
Prof. Rula J. Abisaab about ISLA 200 in Fall 2020:
ISLA 300
Special Topics 7
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Subject matter will vary year to year, according to the instructor. Topic will be made available in Minerva.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructor.
Fall 2020: Islamic Sufism
Prof. Asl谋han G眉rb眉zel about ISLA 300: Islamic Sufism:
ISLA 370
The Qur鈥檃n: Hist & Interpret
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: It examines the history of the codification of the text, its form, and modes of interpretation in both the modern and pre-modern periods. Presentation of different schools of Qur鈥檃nic exegesis, including traditional hermeneutical approaches, and modern approaches such as feminist interpretations of the Qur鈥櫮乶.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite(s): ISLA 200 or permission of instructor
ISLA 380
Islamic Philosophy & Theology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: A survey of the most important philosophers and theologians in Islamic intellectual history, with a focus on the theories they articulated and the movements they engendered. The impact of European thought on 19th and 20th century Islamic intellectual history is also examined.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: ISLA 200 or permission of instructor.
- Note: Reading and discussion in English.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
ISLA 506
Revols:Arab Mid East &N Africa
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: The post-Ottoman Arab world; major socio-political transformations and revolutions in the 20th century Middle Eastern and North African Arab countries; the historical contexts that shaped them and their implications. Interdisciplinarity (anthropology, psychology, sociology, psychiatry, law), effects of revolutionson individuals and societies; the cause of these revolutions; the impact of the modernization/reforms, colonialism and the rise of nationalist movements on them; the diverse compositions and aims of these revolutions; types of social groups and political organizationsand societies that were drawn to these revolutions and why; and the role colonial and postcolonial powers played in them.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
ISLA 511
Medieval Islam, 10th-12th Cent
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Socio-political, religious and intellectual developments in Muslim societies following the weakening of the Arab-Sunni Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad during the tenth century. Emphasis will be placed on the historical formation and features of the Seljuq and Buyid dynasties as well as the Fatimid Caliphate in Egypt.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisites: Isla 200
- Restrictions: Not open to students who have take ISLA 511D1/D2
Fall 2020: Love in Medieval Islamic Thought
Prof. Keshavmurthy about ISLA 511 in Fall 2020:
ISLA 521D1
Course not available
ISLA 522D1
Course not available
ISLA 523D1
Course not available
ISLA 524
Advanced Arabic 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Advanced level of the Arabic language study.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: ISLA 423D1/D2 or ISLA 523D1/D2 or ISLA 623D1/D2 or placement test or permission of the instructor
- Note: Language of instruction is Arabic.
The three Arabic instructors, Shokry Gohar, Hala Jawlakh, and David Nancekivell talk about the Arabic courses in Fall 2020:
ISLA 532D1
Course not available
ISLA 533D1
Course not available
ISLA 534D1
Course not available
ISLA 541D1
Course not available
ISLA 542D1
Course not available
ISLA 543
Course not available
Dr. Pouneh Shabani-Jadidi about the Persian language courses in Fall 2020:
ISLA 551D1
Course not available
ISLA 552D1
Course not available
ISLA 553
Advanced Urdu-Hindi 1
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Builds upon Intermediate Urdu-Hindi to introduce students to advanced grammatical constructions through reading of longer texts in the Urdu or
Hindi script, conversation, and video/audio cultural materials.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
ISLA 585
Arab Women's Literature
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Explorations of writings by Arab women. Issues include: translation/reception, gender and genre, categories of knowledge about Arab women, feminist and post-colonial theories/methodologies.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Prerequisite: ISLA 392 or permission of instructor.
- Note: Readings in English translation.
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
Prof. Michelle Hartman about the Fall 2020 edition of ISLA 585:
ISLA 602
Islamic Philosophy & Theology
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Advanced examination of research issues in the field of Islamic philosophy and theology. Topics will include dialectic, metaphysics, the commentary traditions and 19th century Kal芒m.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
ISLA 603
Intro:Res Materials-Islamic St
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Exploration of research materials in Islamic Studies, including intellectual output of Islamic civilization, compositions, Arabic nomenclature, Arabic script and transliteration systems, published and unpublished materials (theses, manuscripts, books printed by lithography, facsimile editions, monographic, serial, e-publishing), websites, databases; major reference books (bibliographies, encyclopedias, handbooks, online/published catalogues, language/biographical dictionaries).
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Fall
- 2 hours
- Compulsory for M.A. students; recommended for Ph.D. students
ISLA 615
Modern Mid East History
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Advanced examination of research issues in modern Middle East history. Topics will include the history of Arab nationalism; the history of European Imperialism in the Middle East; the Middle East and historiography.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Terms
- This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
- Instructors
- There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
ISLA 735
Special Seminar
3 Credits
Offered in the:
- Fall
- Winter
- Summer
Islamic Studies: Special seminar in Islamic studies.
Offered by: Islamic Studies
- Terms
- Instructors
- Pasha M Khan
- Prashant Keshavmurthy