HIS 3192

HISTORY OF ISLAM

An examination of the growth of Islam in an historical perspective. Topics will cover the origins of Islam as a monotheistic religion in Arabia, encompassing the land and its people. There will be discussion of Mohammed the man and the Prophet, Moral and Ceremonial Obligations, and a historical examination of the Middle Eastern Caliphates. The Dynastic Periods of the Abbasids (Baghdad) and the Ummayada (Damascus) will be explained with emphasis on the problem of succession, and the rift between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Also, we will cover the expansion of Islam in Africa, the problem of slavery in Islamic thought and practice, as well as current trends such as Fundamentalism, the Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, and the global impact of Islam as the world’s fastest growing religion today.

Units: 3.0