The Formative Period of Islam ISC 115
This module is the second part of the Islamic History modules. It aims to examine the formation and development of the Shia school of thought in the first 270 years (610 CE to 270 CE) of Islamic history. Moreover, it will investigate the personality of the Prophet of Islam, the Twelve Shia Imams and the daughter of the Prophet, Fatimah, in the context of the historical period in which they lived.
Syllabus
The module will cover two important periods: the life of the Prophet and the era of the caliphate leading up to the establishment of the Umayyad dynasty. It will discuss topics such as:
- The Prophet’s Succession and the Quraish’s Rule
- The five caliphs after the Prophet
- Abu Bakr and the ridda wars
- Umar’s administration of the new territories
- ‘Umar’s selection committee (shura)
- Caliphate system crisis: ‘Uthman and Banu Umayyad
- Ali’s Caliphate in Kufa and the civil wars
- The birth of the Khawarij
- The formation of a Shi’a trends
Learning outcomes
Knowledge
On completion of this module, the successful student will be able to:
- Differentiate, in approach, the process of leadership in early Islam and outline theories behind the fundamental differences that exist between the institutions of Caliphate and Imamate. (A2, A3)
- Compare and examine the relationship between Islamic themes and their historical context.
- Analyse factors concerning encounters between the Muslims and other civilizations. (A8)
Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy
This module is taught through the medium of lectures, discussions, seminars, independent research and presentations. Students will be encouraged to engage in discussions facilitated by the lecturer in order to learn from others, collaborate and share their understanding of the issues covered. Students work will be developed through class work in groups and search of primary and secondary sources. Students will present and discuss their work in progress in the class, as they are expected to develop their personal skill along with their teamwork.
Assessment Mode
Formative Assessment:
Formative assessment is an important part of the learning process and has been shown to help improve both grades and learning style. As students you receive formative feedback in a variety of ways, orally, in writing, to the whole class or individually. The module leader will regularly give feedback to student regarding the progress of their coursework, a draft copy of the completed coursework need be handed in to the module leader before the 10th learning week as part of the formative learning process. Students may hand in their PowerPoint slides to the lecturer for guidance prior to the 9th learning week. They will also receive formative feedback on their presentations after completing them, and guidance and feedback can be gained from student-led discussion, which will help them improve future performance.
Summative Assessment:
Summative assessment for this module is by Presentation and written exam. The 20 minute presentation will require students to convey their research on an agreed area of the course in an effective manner, and should consist of roughly 10 PowerPoint slides (Outcomes 4, 5). The 2-hour written exam will take place at the end of the semester (Outcomes 1, 2, 3).
Learning Materials
Core readings
Dabashi, H. (2017). Authority in Islam: From the Rise of Mohammad to the Establishment of the Umayyads. Routledge.
Kennedy, H. (2015). The Prophet and the age of the Caliphates: the Islamic Near East from the sixth to the eleventh century. Routledge.
Jačfaryān, Rasul (2003), History of the Caliphs from the death of the messenger to the decline of the Umayyad dynasty 11-132 AH, Qum, Ansariyan.
Madelung, W. (1997) The Succession to Muhammad: A Study of the Early Caliphate, Cambridge University Press.
Qarashi, B.S. (2010). The Ahlulbayt Encyclopaedia. Qum: Ansariyan Publications.
Recommended readings
Abu Talib, A.I. (1984). Nahjul Balagha: Peak of Eloquence. Translated from Arabic by S.A. Reza. 3rd ed. Elmhurst: Tahrike Tarsile Quran.
Al-Mudhafar, M.R. (2014) The Saqifa. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
Al-Mufid, S. (2014) The Battle of the Camel. London, Muhammadi Trust.
Anon (1996) The History of al-Tabari Vol. 17: The First Civil War: From the Battle of Siffin to the Death of ’Ali A.D. 656-661/A.H. 36-40. Albany, State University of New York Press.
Ayub, M. M. (2003) The Crisis of Muslim History, Religion and politics in early Islam, Oxford: One World, 2003 Publications
Bengio, O and Litvak, M. (2012). The Sunna and Shi’a in History:Division and Ecumenism in the Muslim Middle East. Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.
Black, A. (2011) The History of Islamic Political Thought: From the Prophet to the Present. 2nd Revised edition. Edinburgh, Edinburgh University Press.
Brocklemann, Carl (1995), History of the Islamic Peoples, New Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlam Pvt.
Duri, A. al-Aziz (2011) Early Islamic Institutions: Administration and Taxation from the Caliphate to the Umayyads and Abbasids. London, I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd.
Fisher, S. N. (1996) The Middle East: A History. NY: McGraw-Hill., Volume I, 1996
Howard, I.K.A. (n.d.) The Tawwabin: The Repenters. Available from: http://www.al-islam.org/al-serat/vol-4-no-1/tawwabin-repenters
Hawting, Gerald R. (2000), The First Dynasty of Islam: The Umayyad Caliphate. London, Imprint: Routledge, London.
Ja’farian, R. (2003). History of the Caliphs. Qum: Ansariyan Publications.
Reza, S.A. (1996) Peak of Eloquence Nahjul Balagha. 3rd Rev. U.S. Ed edition. Elmhurst, N.Y., Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an Inc.,U.S.
