Islam 101: Understanding Muslim Neighbors

When you hear the words ‘Muslim’ or ‘Islam,’ what comes to mind? This course will survey key elements of Islam as a religious and cultural tradition from its historical beginnings to its contemporary global expressions. Students need no prior knowledge for this course as we will develop basic familiarity with the Islamic tradition’s figures, beliefs, practices, laws, and disputes. We will explore topics such as God and the Qur’an, the life of the Prophet Muhammad, law and rituals, West/East encounters, and contemporary challenges such as “Islamic terrorism” and “women’s rights.” By the end of the course, we will have developed a framework for understanding this global religion and its diversity together. We will have developed enough background knowledge to evaluate statements about Islam in the media, political debates, and everyday life.