0000238 - ISLAMIC STUDIES

The course aims to provide students with the cognitive tools necessary to understand Islam and Muslims, as well as a solid foundation for continuing their studies at the master’s level or for conducting independent research and further investigation of secondary sources in the field of Islamic studies.

By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of the main phases of Islamic history, the figure of the Prophet Muḥammad, the Qur’an, the creed, Islamic law, Shi‘ism, theology, Sufism, jihād, and the status of women.

In addition, students will be expected to demonstrate familiarity with the main bibliographic resources—both print and digital—presented during the course, as well as with the principal theories and methodologies relevant to the discipline.

Students are expected to show sufficient knowledge and understanding of the topics covered in the syllabus. Specifically, they should be able to demonstrate, on the one hand, knowledge of the history, doctrines, and practices of Islam, and, on the other, an understanding of how these serve as essential tools for reading, interpreting, contextualizing, and critically analyzing the history of Muslims and Islamic societies across diverse historical and geographical contexts, from the premodern to the contemporary era.

Moreover, students should be able to use bibliographic tools—both print and electronic—consciously and independently, in order to carry out research on specific topics that are new or unfamiliar to them.

Critical thinking and independent judgment:

Students should demonstrate the ability to think critically about the topics covered in the course, comparing different approaches and interpretations, both within the Islamic tradition and in contemporary academic debates.

Communication skills:

Students must be able to present the knowledge acquired during the course in a clear and coherent manner, using appropriate academic language and specific terminology. They are also expected to demonstrate strong skills in articulating their own interpretations and arguments.

Students studying Arabic must be able to correctly pronounce, write, and transliterate the Arabic terms learned during the course.

Learning skills:

The knowledge and methods provided in the course will equip students with the essential tools needed to continue studying Islam both generally and in its specific aspects. Having acquired the necessary foundations, they will be able to expand their knowledge independently—whether by engaging with academic literature on topics covered in the course or through other forms of knowledge acquisition, such as participating in seminars, conferences, symposia, and workshops related to the course themes.