Undergraduate - UnitATS3341 - Interpreting the sources of Islam: the Qur'an and Hadith

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2014 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Centre for Studies In Religion and Theology
Offered	Clayton Second semester 2014 (Day)
Coordinator(s)	Dr Salih Yucel

Notes

Previously coded RLT3145

Synopsis

This unit will explore the textual sources of Islam, the Qur'an and hadith from Sunni, Shiite and Western points of views, as well as the notion of independent inquiry (itjihad) within Islam involved in exploring these texts. It will consider the different ways in which the Qur'an and hadith or Prophetic sayings have been interpreted as a source of understanding and implementation of Islamic jurisprudence. It will explore both traditional and contemporary interpretations of the Qur'an and hadith in the Islamic world and the West. In the process, the students will develop their ability of research and analysis of sacred text and Islamic law.

Outcomes

By the end of this unit, students will:

gain a foundational knowledge of the science of the Qur'an and hadith
understand the compilation and structure of the Qur'an and the collection and ranking system of hadith
be familiar with the relationship between Qur'anic exegesis, hadith interpretation and Islamic law from Sunni and Shiite point of views
have analyzed contemporary discussions of the Qur'an and hadith sfrom a critical point of view
have developed the ability to undertake academic research and analysis of Islam's sacred texts and law

Assessment

Major essay (4000 words): 60%
Eight weekly response papers (3,200 words total): 20%
Essay Outline with bibliography (1000 words): 10%
Seminar participation (equivalent 800 words): 10%