Syllabus for REL-275

AN INTRODUCTION TO ISLAM

COURSE DESCRIPTION

An Introduction to Islam (REL-275) is a comprehensive interdisciplinary introduction to Islam. Here we use the word Islam in its broadest sense, at once designating a religion, a civilization, a world culture, a human community, and a political entity. While the emphasis of this course is on the formative and classical phase of Islamic history, the course will move on a very wide canvas, covering the entire period from the rise of Islam in the seventh century down to the present day. The tools of analysis employed will be drawn from a multiplicity of disciplines: particularly from history, sociology, religious studies, and philosophy.

This course has been developed for Thomas Edison State University by S. Nomanul Haq, Ph.D. Professor Haq is on the faculty of the University of Pennsylvania where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Islamic Art and Culture and in Middle Eastern Studies.

The course has six modules:

1. Constructing the Background, which gives students historical and cultural background for the development and expansion of Islam.
2. The Prophet Muhammad and the Koran, which summarizes theological aspects of Islam including the importance of the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the Koran, the Five Pillars of Islam, and other subjects.
3. Islamic Law: Concepts of Fiqh and Shari'a, which describes the centrality of law in the Islamic religious system.
4. Seeking God in the Depth of Being: Sufism, which explains the Islamic spiritual-mystical tradition known as Sufism.
5. Focus Studies on Islamic Spain and African American Muslims, a module that allows the student to focus on two specific topics in Islam.
6. Contemporary Islam, an examination of Islam in the world today.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:  

1. Demonstrate a broad knowledge of the history of Islam.
2. Describe the basic doctrines of Islamic religion, distinguishing its internal diversities and summarizing its overall unifying elements.
3. Identify key characteristics of the Koran, the Prophet, and Islamic law.
4. Explain major elements of Islamic religious practice, rituals, sects, mysticism and popular traditions.
5. Describe the ethnic, geographical and linguistic spread of Muslims around the globe.
6. Discuss Islam as a grand world civilization, describing its contributions in the fields of art, architecture, and literature, as well as its role in the Scientific Revolution that culminated in Isaac Newton.
7. Synthesize the understanding of Islam in order to process, make sense of, and explain the realities of the twenty-first century world of Islam.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook and reader are available from the University's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

• The Oxford History of Islam, ed. John L. Esposito (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999).

ISBN-13: 978-0-19-510799-9

Reader

• Introduction to Islam Reader, ed. S. Nomanul Haq (Trenton: Thomas Edison State University, 2004).

Video Program

• "Islam: Empire of Faith," a 3-hour program produced by the Public Broadcasting Service

Note: The video program is being offered via streaming video technology through this course site. The reading and viewing assignment that involves this video includes a link for accessing the video stream.

COURSE STRUCTURE

An Introduction to Islam is a three-credit online course, consisting of six (6) modules. Modules include learning objectives, study materials, and activities.

Module titles are listed below.

• Module 1: Constructing the Background

• Module 2: The Prophet Muhammad and the Koran

• Module 3: Islamic Law: Concepts of Fiqh and Shari'a

• Module 4: Seeking God in the Depth of Being: Sufism

• Module 5: Focus Studies on Islamic Spain and African American Muslims

• Module 6: Contemporary Islam

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in five (5) graded online discussion forums plus an ungraded Introductions Forum in the first module of the course, complete three (3) written assignments and a focus study assignment, and complete a final paper. See below for more details.

Consult the course Calendar for due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forums

In addition to an ungraded Introductions Forum, An Introduction to Islam requires you to participate in five (5) graded class discussions.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct assignments: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses.

You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, and concepts as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement.

For additional information on online discussions, see ”Online Discussions” in the Online Student Handbook.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete three (3) written assignments and one (1) focus study assignment. The written assignments are on a variety of topics associated with the courses modules. The written assignments appear in Module 1, Module 4, and Module 6. The Focus Study assignments are both found in Module 5; you will read all the material but write just one Focus Study writing assignment.

These written assignments are an important way for you to express yourself verbally during the semester, controlling content and meaning. Due dates for each assignment are listed in the Course Calendar on the course Web site.

Your answers to the assignment questions should be well developed and convey your understanding of the readings and concepts. They should also adequately answer the question. If you need help in writing, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Also, formulate responses in your own words. Do not merely copy answers from your reading materials. When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to MLA or APA guidelines.

A Word on Plagiarism

The University's policy on plagiarism is included in the University Catalog and in the Online Student Handbook. See Academic Integrity for a detailed explanation of this policy.

Final Project

There is no midterm or final proctored examination in this course. A 6- to 8-page paper, described below, acts as your final assessment and is worth 30 percent of your grade. You may begin work on this paper at any time during the course, but you must submit it by the last day of the semester.

Instructions

Your final paper should be 6 to 8 pages in length. Possible topics are listed on the course site. You will review your reading and your written assignments. Then you will organize your thoughts on one (1) of the listed topics or come up with one of your own. You are free to suggest your own topic, as long as it falls within the scope of the course. If you choose your own topic, it must be approved by your mentor by the end of Module 5 of the course. Note that you are expected to do additional research for your paper, above and beyond the assigned reading. You may have to go to a library or draw material from the Web.

Your final assessment should be well developed and convey your understanding of the readings and concepts. It should also adequately answer the questions you are addressing. Your paper should be organized, coherent, and unified; it should also be free of spelling and grammatical errors. If you need help in writing such a paper, take a look at The Writing Center: University of Wisconsin-Madison.

When quoting or paraphrasing from the text or other sources, be sure to cite the source of information properly according to MLA or APA guidelines.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

• Online discussions (5)—20 percent
• Written assignments (3)—30 percent
• Focus study (1)—20 percent
• Final project—30 percent

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a course not in your area of study), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

• Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

• Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State University.

• Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

• If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

• To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

• Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Thomas Edison State University is committed to maintaining academic quality, excellence, and honesty. The University expects all members of its community to share the commitment to academic integrity, an essential component of a quality academic experience.

Students at Thomas Edison State University are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

All members of the University community are responsible for reviewing the Academic Code of Conduct Policy in the University Catalog and online at www.tesu.edu.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State University expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the University insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty can take the following forms:

• Cheating
• Gaining or providing unauthorized access to examinations or using unauthorized materials during exam administration
• Submitting credentials that are false or altered in any way
• Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
• Forgery, fabricating information or citations, or falsifying documents
• Submitting the work of another person in whole or in part as your own (including work obtained through document sharing sites, tutoring schools, term paper companies, or other sources)
• Submitting your own previously used assignments without prior permission from the mentor
• Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others (including making tests, papers, and other course assignments available to other students, either directly or through document sharing sites, tutoring schools, term paper companies, or other sources)
• Tampering with the academic work of other students

Plagiarism

Thomas Edison State University is committed to helping students understand the seriousness of plagiarism, which is defined as using the work and ideas of others without proper citation. The University takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing are subject to discipline under the academic code of conduct policy.

If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, or without identifying it as a direct quote, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > “Citing Sources.”)

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else’s. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.

For examples of unintentional plagiarism, advice on when to quote and when to paraphrase, and information about writing assistance, click the links provided below.

Examples of Unintentional Plagiarism

When to Quote and When to Paraphrase

Writing Assistance at Smarthinking

Disciplinary Process for Plagiarism

Acts of both intentional and unintentional plagiarism violate the Academic Code of Conduct.

If an incident of plagiarism is an isolated minor oversight or an obvious result of ignorance of proper citation requirements, the mentor may handle the matter as a learning exercise. Appropriate consequences may include the completion of tutorials, assignment rewrites, or any other reasonable learning tool in addition to a lower grade for the assignment or course. The mentor will notify the student and appropriate dean of the consequence by e-mail.

If the plagiarism appears intentional and/or is more than an isolated incident, the mentor will refer the matter to the appropriate dean, who will gather information about the violation(s) from the mentor and student, as necessary. The dean will review the matter and notify the student in writing of the specifics of the charge and the sanction to be imposed.

Possible sanctions include:

• Lower or failing grade for an assignment
• Lower or failing grade for the course
• Rescinding credits
• Rescinding certificates or degrees
• Recording academic sanctions on the transcript
• Suspension from the University
• Dismissal from the University