FIF 254 - A Journey Through Islam

Course Description

Islam is not unique to the Middle East and is currently the second largest religion in the world after Christianity, with one in every four individuals being a Muslim. Quite often, information about Islam is either sandwiched between cultural layers, or deliberately packaged to fulfil certain agendas. We will discuss the core of the Islamic belief system. What is the Islamic worldview? What answers does this faith provide for our existential questions, like what is the purpose of life and what happens after we die? We will also discuss how the answers to these existential questions illuminates a moral system for every day interactions.

Course Details

By completion of this course, successful students will be able to:

• Identify the Islamic articles of faith, Islamic sharia law, the major differences between Sunni and Shiite sects
• Recognize the central importance of the nature of God in the Islamic worldview and compare it with your own worldview
• Identify how Islamic beliefs are translated into actions and why there are differences in opinions between scholars
• Explain what Ramadan, Haj, Mecca and Eid observances mean
• Describe Islamic gender etiquette and the significance of headcover for women