Course Syllabus

01. Three Narratives of Muslim History

Western-University Narrative: The Companions used and altered the religion of the Prophet to build a religious empire. Dinner-Table Narrative: Muslims have been fighting with each other ever since the Prophet died. Religious Narrative: The Companions were “the best of generations” (Bukhari) whose character inspired people all over the world to embrace Islam. What are the assumptions that lead to these different narratives? Step back, analyze, and integrate the historical methods of the modern university with the historical methods of traditional Muslim scholarship.

02. What is a Caliphate? (Not a Theocracy!)

The Companions unanimously elected Abu Bakr as the first political successor (or “caliph”) of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace). His election was both religious and democratic, and that was not a contradiction! Explore the political theory behind the early caliphate, the freedoms enjoyed by its citizens, and how it compares to a modern liberal democracy (and also to a theocracy).

03. The Wars of Apostasy

Abu Bakr's greatest political legacy was his reunification of fiercely independent Bedouin tribes. The wars he fought are known as the “wars of apostasy” but they were rebellions, not wars (learn the political distinction), and Arabian apostasy was restricted to a few tribes. Learn about miraculous victories, ethical conduct in war, and the transformation of ancient Arabia into the first bastion of Islam.

04. The Quran Preserved and its Variant Readings

Variations in Biblical manuscripts are signs of its corruption but variations in the readings of the Quran are signs of its perfect preservation. See why through a careful study of Abu Bakr’s initiative to compile the first Quranic codex and Uthman’s initiative to copy it, disseminate it, and destroy all Quranic manuscripts that weren’t its identical copies. Learn the principles of historical analysis that will clear all religious doubts about the perfect preservation of the Quran.

05. Why Fight Wars? (Why Not Peace?)

The untrained, underequipped, and outnumbered Muslim forces were unstoppable as they won one miraculous victory after another, eradicating the Sassanians and bringing the Byzantines to their knees. But what motivated these conquests? Was it an irrational religiosity that sought to plunge the world into perpetual war? No. Learn how these conquests sowed the seeds of peace, freedom, and international law.

06. Khalid b. al-Walid and the Battle of Yarmouk

Khalid b. al-Walid was the undefeatable general and hero of the early Muslim conquests. In 636, after years of consecutive victories, he crowned his military career by changing the course of history with a decisive victory against a massive Christian force at the Battle of Yarmouk. Shortly afterwards, Umar dismissed him and he never led a battle again. Analyze his dismissal in your midterm.

MIDTERM

Apply the historical methods of the Islamic sciences of legal theory (usul al-fiqh) and historical criticism (mustalah al-hadith) to analyze the reports surrounding Umar’s dismissal of Khalid b. al-Walid. Describe how your analysis differs from the modern analyses of Western historians. Give an evidence-based explanation of why your analysis is more accurate that the conclusions of Western historians.

07. Umar Assumes Command

Abu Bakr died, Umar took command, and the oldest, wealthiest and most powerful civilizations (Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Levant, and Persia) forever became the heartlands of the Islamic World. The seeds of this God-given success were sown during the previous two decades. Learn how Umar went from being beaten by his father for neglecting camels to becoming one of the greatest and most successful leaders in human history.

08. The Battle of Qadisiyya and the End of the Sassanian Empire

The heroic battles of Qadisiyya (637) and Nahawand (642) ended the four-centuries of magnificent Sassanian reign forever. Learn about Zoroastrianism, how the Sassanian kings used it to oppress their subjects, and how Islam freed them from the worship of slaves (read, “kings”) to the worship of the Lord of all slaves (read, “the true God”).

09. How Umar Became the Most Powerful Man in History

There are two roads to power: (1) subjugation (this leads to compliance) and (2) good government (this leads to love). Umar chose the latter, because of which ‘Abdullah b. Mas‘ud remarked, “By Allah! Had I known that Umar loved a dog, I would have loved that dog, too.” Learn how Umar won the love of his citizens by instituting the separation of powers, political accountability, fiscal responsibility, good citizenship, and free education.

10. Uthman and the Fitna

The final years of Uthman’s reign were marked by dissension and conflict and culminated in his voluntary assassination (you read that right - he volunteered to be assassinated!). Gather historical evidence and apply the historical methods of traditional Muslim scholarship to identify the political causes of the civil unrest, discern the evidence for the sincerity and uprightness of all of the Companions, and to realize that peace and prosperity are blessings from God that He sometimes withholds from us as a test of our sincerity.

11. War Between Ali and Muawiya

Learn the historical evidence for the facts that (1) Ali loved and supported Abu Bakr, Umar, and Uthman, (2) the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) did not designate any political successor, (3) Ali’s predecessors were all democratically elected by a consensus of the Companions, and (4) the battles between Ali, Muawiya, and Aisha were not power-struggles, but divisions created by the Khawarij - first sect to emerge in the history of Islam.

12. Peace Between the Companions

Ali was assassinated and succeeded by his son Hasan, who ruled for six months before fulfilling a prophecy of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) that predicted he would “make peace between two great groups of Muslims”. Learn how the beautiful story of the beloved grandson of the Prophet (Allah bless him and give him peace) is a capstone of one of his greatest miracles - that he left behind a generation of human beings that was more humble, more selfless, and more sincere than any generation that the world had ever seen before.

FINAL

Analyze an account of Islamic history by a leading Western historian, correct its mistakes, and rewrite it using the historical methods of traditional Muslim scholarship.