The Qur'an and the Prophet in Islam

Subject ISLM90012 (2015)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2015.

Credit Points: 12.5
Level: 9 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject is not offered in 2015.

Time Commitment: Contact Hours: This subject will be taught intensively over five days, Plese see timetable for dates.
Total Time Commitment:

Time commitment totals 170 hours.

Prerequisites:

Admission to the Master of Islamic Studies (coursework and minor thesis), Honours or Postgraduate Diploma in Islamic Studies, or permission from the subject coordinator

Corequisites:

None

Recommended Background Knowledge:

None

Non Allowed Subjects:

Student who have previously completed ISLM40002 and ISLM40003 are not permitted to enrol in this subject.

Core Participation Requirements:

For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Student Support and Engagement Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Overview, Learning Outcomes, Assessment and Generic Skills sections of this entry.

It is University policy to take all reasonable steps to minimise the impact of disability upon academic study, and reasonable adjustments will be made to enhance a student's participation in the University's programs. Students who feel their disability may impact on meeting the requirements of this subject are encouraged to discuss this matter with a Faculty Student Adviser and Student Equity and Disability Support: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/disability

Contact

Professor Abdullah Saeed

a.saeed@unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview:

The Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad constitute together the centre and wellspring of Islam. To Muslims, they are the ultimate guide and authority to understanding and practicing their faith. Indeed, throughout Islamic history, these two sources, the holy Word and the holy Prophet, have not only inspired a host of traditional Islamic sciences, ranging from Islamic law and Hadith to Islamic mysticism, they have also been a continuous source of devotional piety and veneration across vast regions and diverse cultures and sections of Muslim society. By exploring various classical and modern commentaries on the Qur’an, as well as various biographical accounts of the Prophet Muhammad, this subject will pay particular attention to the ways in which both the Qur’an and the Prophet of Islam have been understood, venerated and celebrated over the last millennium and a half.

Learning Outcomes:
  • A substantial understanding of the role the Qur’an and the Prophet Muhammad play in the lives of Muslims.
  • A high level of familiarity with the text of the Qur'an, including its form, style, and content, and of the Qur’an as a revelation
  • A substantial understanding of the relationship between interpretation and historical context, and the ability to make an objective analysis of different approaches to the study and interpretation of the Qur'an and the life of the Prophet Muhammad
  • A high level of familiarity with the most important approaches to the Qur’an and the exegetical genres developed during the modern and pre-modern periods
  • A high level of familiarity with the most important biographies of the Prophet of Islam and their approaches
  • A high level of familiarity with various elements of Islamic culture and piety
  • A high level of familiarity with the hadith, its transmission and collection
Assessment:

A 5,0000 word research paper, 100% (due at the end of the teaching period).

Prescribed Texts:

Materials supplied by Asia Institute.

Recommended Texts:

None

Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date
Generic Skills:
  • Familiarization with key research methods in Islamic Studies
  • Developing the ability to read and analyse a wide range of sources on Islam
  • Developing the capacity to communicate knowledge in Islamic studies with confidence in self-expression, both written and oral
  • Analyse and systematically evaluate complex cultural phenomena through examination of primary texts.
  • Employ textual evidence in constructing scholarly argumentation.
  • Examine complex and important cultural materials from a scholarly perspective and present arguments in structured formats.
  • Understand major global cultural phenomena through examination of primary texts.
  • Developing the ability to work independently and in groups
Related Majors/Minors/Specialisations: 100 Point Master of Islamic Studies
150 Point Master of Islamic Studies
200 Point Master of Islamic Studies
Arabic
Arabic
Islamic Studies
Islamic Studies
Islamic Studies

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