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ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION 145B

MODERN ISLAMIC THEOLOGY AND PHILOSOPHY

Fall 2013

Lectures: Thursdays 3-5 in Sever Hall 103

Sections: One hour - time and place to be arranged.

Khaled El-Rouayheb

Department of Near Eastern Languages & CivilizationsRoom 308, Semitic Museum, 6 Divinity Avenue

Tel: 617-495-1681

E-mail: kel@fas.harvard.edu

Office hours: Mondays 2-4, Tuesdays 2-4 or by appointment.

Teaching Assistant:

Naseem Surhio

nsurhio@fas.harvard.edu

Islamic Civilizations 145B offers students a chance to read and discuss some of

the major writings of Islamic philosophers and theologians in the nineteenth and

twentieth centuries, from the Egyptian reformist scholar Muhammad Abduh

(1849-1905) to the contemporary Iranian thinker Abd al-Karim Soroush (born

1945). Some of the central themes in these writings are: the relationship between

reason and faith; the core message of Islam and its significance; the place of

Islamic civilization in the broader history of humanity; and the contemporary

relevance (or irrelevance) of the older Islamic philosophical and theological

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traditions. The emphasis will be on reading (in English) the works of modern

Islamic philosophers and theologians themselves, as opposed to second-hand

accounts by contemporary academics.

Any student is welcome who would like to know more about the thought of

major Islamic theologians and philosophers of the modern period. No prior

knowledge is presupposed, and all readings will be in English. The course may

be taken independently of Islamic Civilization 145A (which deals with the pre-

modern period).

Assigned readings, additional handouts, and announcements for the course will

be available through the course web site.

Prerequisites:

None. All readings will be in English. No prior knowledge of Islam or Islamic

history is assumed.

Requirements:

Students will be required to:

a) Read the assigned readings posted on the course website (approx. 80-100

pages per week).

b) Prepare brief (1-2 page) responses to the readings each week for section

discussions.c) Complete a take-home mid-term handed out in class on October 10 and due

by Monday, October 14, 5:00 pm.

d) Complete a final take-home exam handed out in class on December 5 and

due by Friday December 13at 5:00 pm.

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Course grading:

Course grades will be determined as follows:

- Section presentation and participation 30%

- Mid-Term 30%

- Final exam 40%

Any student whose academic program allows it may take this course Pass/Fail.

Schedule of Lectures:

September 5 Introduction

September 12 Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905): The Theology of Unity,

pp.27-93

September 19 Muhammad Abduh: The Theology of Unity, pp. 94-160

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September 26 Muhammad Iqbal (1877-1938): Reconstruction of Religious

Thought in Islam, pp. 1-94

October 3 Muhammad Iqbal: Reconstruction of Religious Thought in

Islam, pp. 95-199

October 10 Said Nursi (1878-1960), selections from The Words, pp.

145-190; 259-279; 295-323; 481-496

October 17 Abul-Ala Maudoodi (1903-1979): Towards Understanding

Islam, pp. 1-128

October 24 Sayyid Qutb (1906-1966): Milestones, pp. 7-116

October 31 Murtaza Motahhari (1919-1979): Fundamentals of Islamic

Thought: God, Man and the Universe, pp. 25-131

November 7 Murtaza Motahhari: Fundamentals of Islamic Thought: God,

Man and the Universe, 135-216

November 14 Ali Shariati (1933-1977), selections from On the Sociology of

Islam: Lectures, pp. 39-125

November 21 Abd al-Karim Soroush (born 1945), selections from Reason,

Freedom and Democracy in Islam: Selected Essays, pp. 3-

25; 69-87; 88-104; 184-197.

November 28 THANKSGIVING RECESS

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December 5 Sadik Jalal al-Azm (born 1934), selected articles: (1) The

Tragedy of Iblis; (2) The Importance of Being Earnest

about Salman Rushdie; (3) Islam and the science-religion

debate in modern times; (4) Islam, Terrorism and the West

Today.