Course Syllabus

The Qur’an

RELS 3533
University of Oklahoma, College of Arts and Sciences
Spring 2018

Mondays and Wednesdays, 3:00-4:15, in Zarrow 120.

Instructor

David Vishanoff
vishanoff at ou dot edu
http://vishanoff.com
(405) 325-1150
Robertson 119
Office hours: 4:30-5:30 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, or by appointment. I am usually free after class on Mondays as well, and you are welcome to walk back to my office with me and talk.

Overview

Intensive study of the Qur’an, its historical context, major themes, literary forms, and interpretive traditions. In the first half of the course we study passages from the Qur’an directly, attempting our own collective analysis of their form, purpose, assumptions, audience, and context, and comparing our conclusions with those of a prominent Western historian. Students then write their own commentary on a Qur’anic passage of their choice. In the second half of the course we read from three very different Muslim commentaries on the Qur’an, by a 9th-century Sufi named Tustari, a pair of 15th-century Sunni scholars called the Two Jalals, and the 20th-century Islamist Sayyid Qutb. We analyze each interpreter’s assumptions, goals, and interpretive methods, comparing them with our own, and collectively developing a theory of how different interpretive lenses affect the Qur’an’s meaning. Students then expand their commentaries to explore how several different Muslim interpreters would approach their chosen passages, and reflect on how the diversity of interpretation affects our understanding of the Qur’an and of Muslims.

This course counts as an upper-division Humanities course and fulfills General Education requirement IV-NW (Humanities, Non-Western Culture).

Textbooks

• The Qur’an, translated by Muhammad A. S. Abdel Haleem. Oxford World’s Classics, Oxford University Press. $12.95. ISBN 978-0199535958 (paperback; hardcover and English/Arabic also available; any edition of this translation is okay).
  • As a stopgap measure, this is available online through OU’s access to Oxford Islamic Studies Online. You must purchase your own printed copy as soon as possible, however, and bring it to every class. I highly recommend this particular translation, which is much easier to read than most other translations.
• Fred M. Donner, Muhammad and the Believers at the Origins of Islam. Belknap / Harvard University Press. Either the 2010 hardback ($29.95 ISBN 978-0674050976) or the 2012 paperback reprint ($17.95 ISBN 978-0674064140).
  • This book provides helpful background information as well as an interesting thesis about how non-Muslims are regarded in the Qur’an. You do not need to bring this book to class.
  • [Consider dropping this text next time.]
• A coursepack for this class, which will be available at the Crimson & Cream copy shop on the lower level of the Oklahoma Memorial Union.
  • We will start using this during the fourth week of the term. You must bring it to class when readings are assigned from it.
  • [Next time bring back Adam and/or Joseph, then eliminate unneeded material from Geiger.]
• [Consider adding: Exploring the Qur'an: Context and Impact, by M.A.S. Abdel Haleem. I.B Tauris, 2017, as an interpreter and theory of interpretation to argue with.]

Course Goals

• To become thoroughly acquainted with the major themes and literary forms of the Qur’an.
• To develop the skills of close reading and textual analysis.
• To develop the skills and ethics of constructing knowledge collectively through discussion of primary texts.
• To develop a critical awareness of multiple interpretive approaches to sacred texts.
• To develop listening knowledge–that is, to train and equip ourselves for the difficult art of listening to, conversing with, and getting to know religious people who do not share our assumptions, convictions, or ways of thinking.

Requirements

Preparation and contribution (40%)

There are two main ways to demonstrate your preparation and contribute to this class:

1. By speaking up in class. Oral contributions in class are often the most helpful for the rest of us–but only if what you say is clear, concise, relevant to where we are or where we need to go in our conversation, and well grounded in the assigned readings. Don’t talk just to fill silence! If you tend to speak up often, make a special effort to defer to those who speak less often, and please help me to notice students who have their hands up if I don’t see them.
2. By submitting written comments in Canvas, as a response to the day's assignment/discussion post, at least one hour before class, in response to my questions about the assigned readings. These comments should be concise, should refer to specific parts of the readings, and should present just one idea in response to just one of the questions raised in the assignment.

If you are shy, or have trouble formulating ideas quickly enough to speak up, I suggest you start out with written comments; then, when you have found your voice in writing, start looking for opportunities to bring up your ideas in class.

You can choose how much you speak and how much you contribute online, but either way, aim to make a substantial contribution about once a week. Your grade for “preparation and contribution” will be based on the depth, insightfulness, clarity, and conciseness of your contributions, and especially on how well they reflect careful reading of the assigned texts. It will also be affected by little indications of preparation and engagement such as bringing the assigned texts to class, and by how well you help to maintain a focused intellectual atmosphere in the classroom. Your grade will not depend on having “the right interpretation” of the readings–we will often disagree, and we will all make plenty of mistakes trying to understand our texts, and that’s fine.

Commentary, in two stages (15% and 30%)

An extended written commentary on a Qur’anic passage of your choice, written in two stages. Your Initial Commentary will consist of your analysis of a Qur'anic passage of your choice; your Comparative Commentary will compare your analysis with the interpretations of two or more Muslim commentators.

Final exam (15%)

An essay exam describing your own intellectual process and development over the course of this term.

Attendance (crucial)

The work of the course consists in working together to develop a shared set of questions and ideas about the Qur’an by studying our texts together. This is only possible with your consistent preparation, attendance, and participation. There is therefore a severe grade penalty for excessive absences. If you will not be able to attend regularly, please drop the course. You will be allowed to miss up to four classes without penalty. Every absence beyond your first four will result in a reduction of your final course grade by one half of a letter grade. For example, if your course grade would have been a B, but you missed six classes (two more than allowed), you would be down to a C. There is no limit to this penalty, so if you miss enough classes you will quickly drop down to an F in the course. I fully expect that you will occasionally (up to four times) be unable to attend class for one reason or another, so it is not necessary to apologize or provide any excuse for your absences. On the other hand, if a serious ongoing personal or health situation will result in four or more absences during the term, please do talk to me about it as soon as you realize it may become a problem, and I will be as supportive as I can. Absences that result from religious observances will be excused, and exams or work falling on religious holidays may be rescheduled without penalty; please let me know in advance, as soon as you are able to determine that a holiday may conflict with class.

Please note that I will take attendance just before class begins, so if you arrive after class has begun you will be irrevocably recorded as absent unless you check in with me after class, in which case I will record you as merely late. Please don’t be embarrassed about doing this; I am not offended by your lateness, and I’m glad to see you no matter how late you arrive. Nevertheless, since arriving late can be distracting to other students, if lateness becomes a recurring problem I may decide to count each lateness as a fraction of an absence.

Academic honesty (all or nothing)

In my estimation, any form of deceit, however “mild,” warrants a final course grade of F. Individual instances of suspected academic dishonesty will be referred to the appropriate University authorities, who will investigate and determine appropriate penalties (which may include grade penalties, extra classes, suspension, expulsion, and/or other penalties). In my estimation, academic dishonesty can include (but is not limited to) turning in writing not created by yourself solely for this class, plagiarism (reproducing or paraphrasing someone else’s words or ideas without citing them), failing to document sources as required in an assignment, helping other students to avoid doing their own reading or thinking or writing, selling a paper or exam essay or sharing it with someone who might use it instead of doing his or her own work, submitting answers or comments online without having studied the relevant materials for yourself, and even false excuses for absences or late or missed assignments. You have no need to invent excuses, because unmet requirements will affect only my evaluation of your work, not my respect for you as a person; false excuses therefore indicate that you are attempting to falsify your grade, and this warrants a course grade of F. See integrity.ou.edu for information on student rights and responsibilities with regards to academic misconduct.

Course evaluation (a moral requirement)

At the end of the term you will have the opportunity to answer the university-mandated online questions about this class at eval.ou.edu. This may seem like a meaningless exercise, but I actually care a great deal about the insights that students give me in these surveys about themselves, their learning experiences, and my own teaching. There is no way for me to formally require completion of these evaluations, and I never find out which students fill them out (unless they mention their names in their answers, which can help me understand their comments better). But I hope you will agree, when you see how much of myself I poor into this class over the course of the term, that you owe me ten minutes of your time and some honest answers about the class. I sincerely want and expect every student to fill out an evaluation. Thank you; my future students and I will all be grateful that you did.

General policies

• Assignments may or may not be accepted late, at the instructor’s discretion. Unless arranged in advance, any such lateness will be penalized one letter grade for each interval between class periods (or any fraction thereof) that elapses after the scheduled date.
• No extra-credit work will be assigned or accepted; please do not ask. To benefit from this class, you need to do the work as it is assigned, not do other work later.
• In order to help alleviate the stress of "dead week" or "pre-finals week," I have designed the schedule so that all our reading and papers are completed before the last week of classes. We will spend the last week reflecting back on the thinking we did during the term, tying together our thoughts, and preparing outlines for the final exam essay. (For specific provisions of OU's official pre-finals week policy see https://apps.hr.ou.edu/FacultyHandbook#4.10.)
• Any student who has a disability that may prevent him or her from fully demonstrating his or her abilities should contact me personally as soon as possible; I will be very glad to make accommodations to help you participate and learn more effectively. If you are unsure whether you should request some kind of accommodation, or what kind of accommodation might be most helpful for you, consult the staff at the Disability Resource Center who will be able to help figure out what is best and whether you should formally register with the Center (730 College Avenue, 325-3852, TDD 325-4173, drc@ou.edu).
• Title IX Resources and Reporting Requirement: For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, or stalking, the University offers a variety of resources. To learn more or to report an incident, please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405/325-2215 (8 to 5, M-F) or smo@ou.edu. Incidents can also be reported confidentially to OU Advocates at 405/615-0013 (phones are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). Also, please be advised that a professor/GA/TA is required to report instances of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or discrimination to the Sexual Misconduct Office. Inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies may be directed to: Bobby J. Mason, University Equal Opportunity Officer and Title IX Coordinator at 405/325-3546 or bjm@ou.edu. For more information, visit http://www.ou.edu/eoo.html.
• Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues: Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact your professor or the Disability Resource Center at 405/325-3852 as soon as possible. Also, see http://www.ou.edu/eoo/faqs/pregnancy-faqs.html for answers to commonly asked questions.