ISLAM, GENDER, AND MODERNITY

Instructor: Claire Robison Summer 2014

WordPress site and syllabus

http://islamgendermodernity.wordpress.com/

Foundations of Islam

- Began with the Prophet Muhammad (570-632 CE)- Quran, basic text of Muslims, compiled from encounter of

Muhammad with the Angel Gabriel- Muhammad viewed by Muslims as the seal of prophets, in a

long line including Abraham, Moses, and Jesus- In addition to the Quran, the hadith collections are central

Islamic religious texts- The hadiths tell about Muhammad’s life, example, interactions

with others, and his advice- Muslims believe that both the words of the Quran and the

hadith are incumbent on followers

Concepts in the Islamic Worldview

One God, angels, humanity, and one creation that has a unique relationship with the one God

The one creation will end at Judgment Day, when all souls will be sent to either heaven or hell

Most beings have one life and can live a righteous life by following the message of the prophets that God has sent throughout the ages, culminating with Muhammad (6th c CE)

Focus on God’s righteousness, justice, and mercy

Five Pillars of Islam

- Found in the Sunni “Hadith of Gabriel”- The Five Pillars are said to be the duties

of all Muslims- Profession of faith (shahada) that there is no God

but God and Muhammad is his messenger- Prayer (salat, namaz) performed five times a day- Giving of alms (zakat)- Fasting during Ramadan- Pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca at least once in life

Sunni and Shia

- The major two groups of Muslims are those following Sunni Islam (85%) and Shia Islam (15%)

- Shia are predominantly in Iran, India, Pakistan, Iraq, and Bahrain with minority populations elsewhere

- Islamic history is often told from Sunni perspective because they are numerically dominant

- For many Muslims, prayer and pilgrimage are important, but prayer in local languages and pilgrimage to local shrines

- The same practices and hadiths are not accepted by all Muslims. This influences how people apply Muslim tradition in their daily life

Sufism: Mystical Islamic traditions

Many Muslim communities, trace their lineages back to Sufi teachers, who spread mystical forms of Islam. These have been historically the most popular amongst Muslim populations, from Indonesia to India to Morocco.

Sufi traditions are found in both Shia and Sunni Islam

Sufi Festival, at Ajmer, India

Sufi saints are revered in tomb shrines throughout many Muslim-majority countries

Traditional Sufi Islam is being threatened today by the spread of Wahhabi Islam

Islam Today

Islam is the world’s second largest religion According to a 2010 Pew Research Center study, Islam

has 1.57 billion adherents, which is almost one fourth of the world population

There are 49 Muslim-majority countries, and 60 countries with populations of 1 million+ Muslims

Only about 20% of Muslims live in Arabic countries There are more Muslims in the UK than in Lebanon

and more in China than in Syria

http://www.pewforum.org/2011/01/27/table-muslim-population-by-country/

Geography of Islam

Muslims Around the World

From the 9th c. onward, Asia and Africa became the center of global Islamic community, though Arabia remains the symbolic and influential center of the Muslim community

Majority (62%) of Muslims live in South or Southeast Asia Indonesia (12.7%, 204 million) Pakistan (11%, 178 million) India (10.9%, 177 million) Bangladesh (9.2% 148 million)

However, for because of the complicated issues surrounding the oil industry and modern geo-politics, outsized attention is given to Muslim-majority Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries

Wazir Khan Mosque, Lahore, Pakistan (ca. 1630s)

Early South Indian style mosque (ca. 900)

Niujie Mosque in Beijing (996 CE)

The biggest and oldest mosque in Beijing. Its architectural style blends both ancient Chinese palaces and Arabian mosques.

Ali Saifuddien Mosque, Brunei, SE Asia

Our Course

We will be focusing on Muslim women in three MENA nations:

Egypt, Morocco, and Iran We will also have small detours to Muslim

communities in other nations – from Indonesia to the US – through film and discussion

Issues of gender in Islamic tradition are inseparable from both religious and political histories of Muslim-majority lands