This course introduces the two main sources of Islamic belief and practice: the scripture of Islam, the Qur'ān, and the recorded sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, the hadīth. The course first examines the sacred scripture of Islam, its historical context and literary style, its compilation, and major themes. It also explores the development of the Qur'ānic sciences, the sources and methods of interpretation in different schools of thought, and its place in Muslim life, including Qur'ān as an object of art.

The second part of the course is devoted to the study of hadīth, its structure and compilation, and its role in the development of Islamic law. Major collections of hadīth, the question of their authenticity, and various classifications in the science of hadīth will be analyzed. In addition to the historical survey of the literature of hadīth, the relationship between the Qur'ān and hadīth and the impact of Prophetic traditions on Islamic life and thought will be investigated. Finally, the course surveys the study of the Qur'ān and hadīth in the West, concluding with a survey of the current state of studies in the Islamic world and a discussion of their implications for various contemporary social and political issues.

Course Requirements:

Midterm	30%
Final	40%
Paper	30%

The mid-term and final exams will consist of essay questions in which there is a range of choice, e.g. choose three of four questions.

Undergraduate students are expected to write a term paper of ten pages on a subject of their choice which must be approved by the instructor in advance of its completion. Graduate students must write a research paper of some twenty five pages on a subject of their choice which they must treat in depth.

Required Reading:

1. Major Themes of the Qur'ān by Fazlur Rahman (Minneapolis, Bibliotheca Islamica, 1994), for a discussion of the major themes contained in the Qur'ān and the verses relating to each theme.
   
   
2. The Message of the Qur'ān, trans. by Muhammad Asad (Chicago, Kazi Publications, 1980), for a translation of the Qur'ān with copious commentaries emphasizing the intellectual and rational aspects of the Qur'ānic message.
   
   
3. The Qur'ān and its Exegesis by Helmut Gatje (Oxford, Oneworld Publications, 1996), for collection of classical and modern commentaries on some of the key passages of the Qur'ān.
   
   
4. The Qur'ān in Islam by 'Allāmah Sayyid Tabātabā'ī (Blanco, Texas, Zahrah Publications), for an introduction to the study of the Qur'ān and Qur'ānic sciences by one of the leading Shī'ite commentators of the twentieth century
   
   
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5. 'Ulūm al-Qur'ān by Ahmad Von Denffer (Leicester, The Islamic Foundation, 2003), for an introduction to the Qur'ānic sciences from a Sunni perspective.
   
   
6. Forty hadīth: An Anthology of the Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad by al-Nawawi, translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys Johnson-Davies, (Cambridge, Islamic Texts Society, 1997).
   
   
7. hadīth Literature: Its Origin, Development and Special Features by Muhammad Zubayr Siddiqi (Cambridge, Islamic Texts Society, 1993).
   
   
8. Reading packet of articles by Orientalists and contemporary Muslims on the Qur'ān, hadīth, and corresponding sciences.

Course Outline:

1. Introduction to Qur'ān as scripture and historical context.
2. The Qur'ān about itself and other revelations - the early surahs and the "Opening."
3. God, man, and nature in the Qur'ān.
4. Social life, ethics, and eschatology in the Qur'ān.
5. Prophetic history in the Qur'ān - Abraham, Moses, and other prophets - Mary and Jesus - Muhammad.
6. Grammatical and historical schools of Qur'ānic exegesis (tafsīr) - theological, mystical, and philosophical commentaries.
7. Role of Qur'ān in Islamic religious life.
8. Study of the Qur'ān in the West from the 12th through the 20th century.
9. hadīth and its definition.
10. The role of the Prophet and Prophetic traditions in Islamic life and thought.
11. The science of hadīth and its historical development.
12. Major collections of hadīth: Sunnī and Shī'ite.
13. Later development of the science of hadīth.
14. Qur'ān and hadīth studies in the modern period.
15. Contemporary debates - current trends in Qur'ānic and hadīth studies.