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ISL592 Islamic History, Law and Society (16)

Abstract

This subject aims to identify major approaches to Islamic history, law and society. It particularly compares and contrasts the classic Muslim scholarly approach to Islamic history and the orientalist approaches in the light of modern historical methods and enquiry. Modern history of Islam and Muslim societies are a key focus with investigation into contemporary Islamic revivalism and its engagement of social, political and religious issues within themes of modernity. Further, the subject examines major trends in contemporary Islamic world, situating them in the context of the history, modernity, democracy and secularism. It reviews major schools of thought in the classical period but devotes particular attention to the evolution of Islamic thought since the modernizing movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in the Islamic world. The impact of socialism, feminism, secularism and concern with human rights on a range of contemporary Islamic thinkers will be studied, both within a range of traditionally Islamic countries and among Muslim minorities within the West. The subject explores the changing role of the ulama (scholarly community) and the questions of its response to modernity. There is an enquiry into evolving ways of considering Islamic jurisprudence focussing on the principles and higher objectives underpinning Islamic law and debates about its interaction with other contemporary systems of law.

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Subject information

Duration Grading System School:
One sessionHD/FLCentre for Islamic Studies and Civilisation

Enrolment restrictions

Bachelor of Islamic Studies (Honours)

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this subject, students should:
  • be able to show understanding of how emphases and perspectives of religious and wider historiography have changed in the modern era;
  • be able to demonstrate recognition of how perspectives of history writers are shaped by their culture and religious interests;
  • be able to assess the competence of any history writing by formal historiographical standards;
  • be able to evaluate critically the application of higher objectives of Islamic law;
  • be able to analyse critically legal issues in their religious, textual, social, political contexts; and
  • be able to evidence enhanced legal and historiographical skills.

Syllabus

The subject will cover the following topics:
  • Perennial methodological issues affecting history writing in general and religious history writing in particular
  • The place of the historian's own attitudes and concerns in Islamic history writing
  • The nature of historical proof
  • Classic Muslim scholarly approach to Islamic history and the orientalist approach
  • Religious, social and political currents in modern history of Muslim societies
  • Islamic revivalism and its engagement of social, political and religious issues within themes of modernity
  • Major trends in contemporary Islamic world
  • Islamic thought since the modernizing movements of modern era
  • Constants and variables in the role of the ulama
  • Higher objectives of Islamic law
  • Approaches to Islamic law and its application in the modern world
  • Responses to Islamic tradition and modernity in the thought of Maududi, Sayyid Qutb, Seyyed Hossein Nasr, Fazlur Rahman, Fetullah Gulen, Tariq Ramadan

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The information contained in the 2015 CSU Handbook was accurate at the date of publication: 01 October 2015. The University reserves the right to vary the information at any time without notice.