Prof. K. Ali
Spring 2007
Modern Islam
CAS RN 316/GRS RN 616/STH TX 856
MWF 12-1 pm, CAS 315
Office Hours: W 1:30-3:30 or by appt. (145 Bay State Rd., Room 402)
Phone: 617-353-4465; Email:
Note: Email is the best way to reach me; I check it at least twice daily. For significant substantive queries, come to office hours or schedule another time to meet with me.
Course Description
From the mid-nineteenth century onward, Muslims have been engaged with the transformations wrought by modernity. This course will focus on key thinkers and intellectual movements emphasizing, but not restricted to, Egypt. How have modernists (Afghani, Abduh, Rida), Islamists (Qutb, Mawdudi, Zaynab al-Ghazali), feminists (Sha'rawi, Bint al-Shati), and contemporary reformist scholars (Abu Zayd, Arkoun, Soroush) negotiated the encounter between tradition and modernity? These thinkers and others have grappled with key questions: what kind of society should Muslims have? What are the key guiding principles for a just society? How can the rights of competing groups be balanced? What role should religion play? Who decides?
Readings
In addition to articles posted on CourseInfo, the following books are required:
Daniel Brown, RethinkingTradition in Modern Islamic Thought (Cambridge University Press, 1999)
Charles Kurzman, Modernist Islam: A Sourcebook, 1840-1940 (OxfordUniversity Press, 2002)
Seyyid Qutb, Milestones (Kazi Publications, 1991)
Assignments and grading:
Undergraduates:
There are four components to your grade: attendance/participation (15%); two quizzes (40%); an essay comparing two modern Muslim thinkers (15%); and a final exam (30%).
Attendance at all class sessions is necessary, because lectures will cover materials not in the class readings. Participation in discussions and in-class exercises is also an important element in this course. Together, attendance and participation will account for 15% of your grade. Please note that even if you miss a class session for a valid reason you are expected to obtain notes from a classmate, as you will still be responsible for any material covered or announcements given.
Quizzes: Two non-cumulative midterm exams (10/12 and 11/19) will account for 20% of your grade each.
Essay: One 4-5 page essay comparing two thinkers’ approaches to a particular issue, due on 12/7, is worth 15% of your grade. More specificguidelines will be distributed in October. Students are encouraged to come to office hours to discuss their papers or to meet with the Religion Department writing tutor.
Final exam: Worth 30% of your grade, it will be held according to the University schedule.
Graduatestudents:
There are four components to your grade: attendance/participation (15%); an oral and written presentation on a modern Muslim thinker (15%); a review of an approved scholarly book on the course topic (20%) due on 10/19; and researchpaper on a topic selected in consultation with me (50%) due on 12/14 with interim deadlines. Further guidelines for presentations, book reviews, and research papers will be distributedin mid- September.
Policy on Late Work, Missed Exams, and Incompletes:
Late work will be penalized by as much as one complete letter grade for each day overdue including weekends and holidays. Please note that electronic submission of work is not allowed.Extensions will be granted only in exceptional circumstances, and in no case after the original deadline for completion has passed. Students who anticipate difficulty in meeting deadlines should contact me as far in advance of the due date as possible.
Quizzes are scheduled forFriday 10/12 and Monday 11/19 (graduate students need not attend these days). If you require alternate arrangements for a legitimate reason (e.g., a religious holiday), please contact me at least two weeks in advance. Missing a quiz without adequate prior notice due to anything other than a documented medical emergency or something equally urgent and unforeseeable will result in a grade of “0” for the exam. The same rules apply for scheduled presentations.
Make-up final examinations, where appropriate, will be scheduled in accordance with university policy.
A course grade of incomplete will only be granted for compelling reasons.
Academic integrity, plagiarism, and independent work:
Every student is expected to be familiar with and comply with the BU policy on academic integrity, which can be found at: If you have any questions about how the policy applies to work for this course, please do not hesitate to ask me. I will refer any suspected case of academic misconduct to the Dean’s Office. Any assignment judged, after a hearing by the Academic Conduct panel, to be plagiarized will receive a grade of “0.”
Helpful resources about proper use of sources can be found many places online and should be consulted before you begin work on your report. DartmouthCollege’s page on source usage ( especially “What is plagiarism?” ( is a good place to begin.
For guidance as to how best to use sources during your writing, see the Harvard University guide to “Writing with Sources” ( and the Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) guide to “Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing” (
Disabilities:
In accordance with University policy, a student who requires accommodation for a documented disability of any type should see me immediately to discuss appropriate modifications to course requirements (
Course schedule
Note that the assigned readings are subject to change depending on how quickly we progress. Please bring your Kurzman reader to each class session.
Week 1 – Colonialism and Empire
Read: Kurzman, chapters 3 (‘Abduh), 6 (Rida), and 40 (Khan)
Wednesday 9/5
Friday 9/7
Week 2 – Modernity and modernism
Read: Kurzman, “Introduction” in Modern Islam; Kurzman, chapters 7 (al-Mazrui), 21 (Cevdet), 38 (Hali), 41 (Iqbal)
Monday 9/10
Wednesday 9/12
Friday 9/14
Week 3 – Political reform I (Egypt, North Africa, Turkey, Syria)
Read:Kurzman, chapters1 (Tahtawi), 2 (Khayr al-Din), 9 (Ibn Badis), 16 (Suavi), 17 (Kemal), 22 (Kazim), 25 (Gokalp), 19 (Kawakibi)
Monday 9/17
Wednesday 9/19
Friday 9/21
Week 4 – Political reform II (Iran and India)
Read: Kurzman, chapters12 (Khan), 13 (Na‘ini), 41 (Iqbal), 44 (Azad); Keddie on the Iranian constitutional revolution (CourseInfo)
Monday 9/24
Wednesday 9/26
Friday 9/28
NOTE: Notify me by 9/28 if you will need alternate quiz arrangements due to Eid al-Fitr
Week 5 – Education and the Ulama
Read: Fazlur Rahman, Islam and Modernity, Chapter 4; Barbara Daly Metcalf, Islamic Revival in British India, ix-15, 315-360 (CourseInfo)
Monday 10/1
Wednesday 10/3
Friday 10/5
Week 6 – Education and Science
Read: Kurzman, chapters 11 (reread Afghani), 18 (Frasheri), 34 (Fitrat), 37 (Cholpan), 43 (‘Ali)
Tuesday 10/9
Wednesday 10/10
Friday 10/12QUIZ 1
Week 7 Religious Interpretation
Read: Kurzman, chapters 3 (‘Abduh), 6 (Rida), 40 (Khan), 15 (al-Jaza’iri), 22 (Kazim), 39 (‘Ali) and two other chapters on this topic of your choosing.
Monday 10/15
Wednesday 10/17
Friday 10/19Graduate students: Book review due at beginning of class.
Week 8 – Sunnah and modernity
ReadBrown, Rethinking Tradition in Modern Islamic Thought (entire book)
Monday 10/22
Wednesday 10/24
Friday 10/26
Week 9 – Women’s Rights
Read: Kurzman, chapters 4 (Amin), 5 (Bahithat al-Badiya), 24 (Sa‘id), 26 (Causevic), 27 (al-Maghribi), 28 (Adivar); Stowasser, Women in Qur’an, Tradition, and Interpretation, pp. 119-134 (CourseInfo)
Monday 10/29
Wednesday 10/31
Friday 11/2
Week 10 – Egyptian feminism and nationalism
Read: Margot Badran, Feminists, Islam, and Nation, pp. 31-73; Huda Shaarawi, Harem Years, pp. 1-4, 84-111 (CourseInfo)
Monday 11/5
Wednesday 11/7
Friday 11/9
NOTE: Notify me by 11/5 if you will need alternate quiz arrangements for 11/19.
Week 11 -- Revivalism
Read: Seyyid Qutb, Milestones, entire book; Robert Lee, Overcoming Tradition and Modernity, pp. 83-113 (CourseInfo)
Wednesday 11/14
Friday 11/16
Week 12 - Interlude
No new readings this week
Monday 11/19 QUIZ 2
THANKSGIVING RECESS
Week 13 – Liberal Islam
Read: Charles Kurzman, “Introduction” from Kurzman, ed., Liberal Islam
Mohamed Arkoun, excerpt from Rethinking Islam Today, from Kurzman, ed., Liberal Islam; Mohamed Mahmoud Taha, The Second Message of Islam, pp. 124-164(CourseInfo);
Monday 11/26
Wednesday 11/28
Friday 11/30
Week 14 – Progressive Islam?
Read: Omid Safi, “Our Islamic Fine-Tuning Project” selections TBD from Safi, ed., Progressive Muslimsor other sources, depending on class interests.
Monday 12/3
Wednesday 12/5
Friday 12/7Graduate student research presentations
Undergraduate papers due at beginning of class.
Week 15
No new readings this week
Monday 12/10
Wednesday 12/12
Undergraduates: Final exam to be held according to University schedule.
Graduates: Final paper due in Professor Ali’s box in the Religion Department by 5 p.m. on December 14.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Islam: a gateway site maintained by Prof. Alan Godlaswith links to manyresources on Muslim history as well as contemporary life.
Islamic scripture: contains three different English translations of the Qur'an. It is searchable by keyword, and can provide an alternate version of difficult passages; provides similar pages for hadith collections.
Prof. Charles Kurzman’s page of Liberal Islam Websites:
Revised 08.24.07
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