The Institute of Ismaili Studies

First Year

Language Study
The study of Arabic is central to the Programme as it enables students to read and understand the Holy Qur’an and other primary texts. Beginner, intermediate and advanced-level Arabic instruction is offered throughout the first two years of the Programme. For students who are already fluent in Arabic, Persian language courses are offered.

Language study includes a summer immersion Arabic course at the end of the first year. For the past three years, students have travelled to Syria for the summer immersion programme. Past immersion programmes have taken place in Egypt, Yemen and Morocco. Students taking Persian language study attend an immersion programme in Iran.

Alongside sustained language learning, the first year includes the following core courses:

Core Courses

Introduction to Islamic Studies and Humanities: The module is designed to introduce students to the study of religion, specifically Islam and the Ismaili Tariqah through humanities perspectives. It will engage in a critical sociological and philosophical examination of Muslim history. Students will also examine approaches to religious hermeneutics (including the varying interpretations of Quranic passages), issues relating to religious instruction and belief, and contemporary developments.

Authority, Power and Body Politic I and II: Islamic history is delivered as two modules, across two terms. These modules aim to: familiarize students with the main stages in the emergence, development and spread of Islam, both as a religion and as a political and social system in the pre-modern and modern periods; to introduce classical Islamic religious, political and social institutions; and to establish a framework for the study of Islamic history.

History of the Ismailis: This module provides a survey of Ismaili history from the earliest periods to early modern times. Starting with the pre- Fatimid period in Ismaili history, it then covers the Fatimid period itself when Ismaili thought and literature attained their summit and made important contributions to Islamic thought and culture. It then examines the so-called Alamut period in Nizari Ismailis history when this branch of Ismailism managed to establish a viable state in Iran and Syria. During the Alamut period II the Nizari Ismaili made important contributions to Islamic civilization. The final part of the course focuses on the post-Alamut period in Nizari Ismaili history when the 2 Ismailis lived in scattered communities from Syria to South Asia.

Approaches to the Study of Religion: The emergence of ‘religion’ as an analytical category or as an object of study is deeply associated with the advent of modernity. Given that modernity is the core problematic of social theory, the study of religion demands acquaintance with this body of theory.

Anthropology of Muslim Societies: An introduction to the anthropological study of Muslim societies and Islam through close readings of ethnographic texts from a variety of regions. This module aims to explore the diversity, complexity, and dynamism of Muslim societies. For this purpose, the module shall survey ethnographic materials and review how general theories are applied to specific localities and everyday contexts. This module will expose the students to some of the key themes and methods that anthropologists of Muslim societies have explored. It will survey a select yet broad range of topics, countries, and Muslim communities. The students will be encouraged to think critically, creatively, and comparatively across the topics, countries, and communities covered throughout the module.

Muslims in Regional Contexts (South Asia/Africa) : A significant characteristic of Islam, throughout its history, has been the plurality and diversity of its adherents. Although the fundamental tenets of Islam, expressed through the shahada, are common to all Muslims, the way Islam is practised in different regions of the world reflects the interpretation of the people and the interaction of their beliefs with the pre-established culture. The aim of the course is to explore such varieties of expression with reference to practices in South Asia.

Knowledge, World, and Action: This is a module on modern philosophy, which aims to introduce students to key concepts and methods of inquiry. Topics covered will be: truth and reasoning; the problem of induction; causation; time; free will; scepticism about the external world; the analysis of knowledge; philosophy, ethics and insight; and the grounds of political obligation.

Gender and Representation: This module will introduce students to the key debates and thinkers on Islam and gender. The subject will be approached from two perspectives. The first half of the module will focus on the ideological discourses that surround this subject and the role of scriptures in legitimising/de-legitimising competing ideologies. Such debates often fail to go beyond the rhetoric and stated ideals to explore the translation of these ideologies into lived realities and the negotiations that shape ‘life as lived’. The second half of the module will hence help students explore lived Islam, particularly as it pertains to gender roles, relations and identities, in the light of the competing ideologies discussed in the first half of the module.

Literature and Culture: The aim of this module is to provide an introduction to literary analysis and cultural argument. The module is not a survey or history of literary and cultural theory. It seeks, rather, to develop the analytical skills required to engage seriously with literary and critical texts. The emphasis will be on careful examination through group discussion of key arguments and textual passages.

Shi‘i Tradition: The module will examine the historical and conceptual origins of the Shi‘a tradition. Its formative development and contemporary expressions will be reviewed through a range of approaches, including a review of historical, textual, literary and exegetical texts.

The Institute of Ismaili Studies - First Year

Last updated: 09/09/2010 14:21