Peace, one and all…
Here are the final set of slides from Summer 2006’s course: Islamic History: the first 150 Years. These slides are on the initial stages of the Abbasid Revolution.
As this brings to an end the material from this course, I will insha Allah begin posting slides from my other courses soon.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
Here’s the next set of slides on early Islamic history. This group of slides cover Abd al-Malik & Hisham, very important figures in the history of the Umayyad dynasty.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
Nothing for ages, and then two come along at once! Here’s another set of slides. These slides conclude our overview of the Second Civil War.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
I’ve not added anything to this blog for a while. So, now that the summer is here, here’s the next instalment of slides on early Islamic history. These slides deal with the 2nd civil war, and are entitled Yazid and Husayn.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
Here are the next set of slides on early Islamic history. Specifically, this set of slides offer an overview of the caliphate of Muawiya.
Enjoy and may the Beloved make them useful.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
There’s been a fair bit of activity at work in recent weeks. The Head of School is leaving for pastures new, and this has means changes are in the air.
Firstly, it’s been confirmed that I’ll be teaching my 2nd year undergraduate course, entitled Shia Islam: History & Theology. It’s due to start in September 2007. I’m actually excited by this prospect. It will be hard work, for sure, but it’ll be something to sink my teeth into. Al hamdu lillahi ala kulli hal. It does mean that my summer months will be very busy. Insha Allah, I plan to spend the time in Lampeter and London, using the libraries there.
I’ve also been asked to teach some courses for Lifelong Learning in September too! I’ve been asked to design and teach a module on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The working title is The Abrahamic Faiths, and at present I’m planning to take a thematic approach. There are also a few other things in the pipeline at the moment. More info as I get it insha Allah.
All this with a new baby on the way!
And God’s help is to be sought in all things…
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
The recent bout of bad weather in the UK has meant that I’m snowed in! Every thing happens for a purpose I suppose and in this case, I’ve got some work to be getting on with here. I’m currently updating last year’s first year undergraduate course Islamic Traditions: History, Law and Practice (as part of the Religion, Culture & Society II module). So, insha Allah, after jumuah I’ll go through the reading material I’ve got here.
I’ve been involved in other things recently and so I’ve not been keeping up to date on this blog! Ah well, c’est la vie. Here’s the next set of slides. These slides look at Uthman and the crisis of the early caliphate.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
Here’s the next edition of powerpoint slides on early Islamic history. These slides deal with Umar and the Conquests. As before, they are yours to use as you will. Please remember to cite your source (www.islamichistory.wordpress.com).
And Allah is sufficient as a witness.
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
As part of my ongoing attempt to post resources for the study of early Islam, in all its diversity, I’m posting a powerpoint presentation on the succession to Muhammad (alaihi salatu wa salam). As with other such materials, I’m posting this to help encourage learning and informed discussion. These materials are available free of charge. My only request is that you acknowledge your source (www.islamichistory.wordpress.com)
Enjoy…
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
I’ve got another couple of powerpoint presentations ready for your viewing pleasure. Both presentations came from my Islamic History: the First 150 Years module, which I taught here in summer 2006:
1. Other Sources for the Study of Early Islam
2. The Tarikh of Imam al-Tabari
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
In a recent post, I referred to my forthcoming course (‘Heresy’ in the Medieval Islamic World). I’ve recently finished the relevant paperwork and so I thought I’d share the basic course outline with you all (God willing).
My aim here is to encourage discussion, as well as to share my academic work in general. The basic structure of the course is a 10 week programme (two hours each week).
Enjoy…
Course Outline
I. Introduction: Sources, Texts and Questions
In this session, we will look at the course structure and outline, as well as looking at our key historical sources and some of the questions they raise
II. What is Heresy in an Islamic context?
In this session, we will explore the nature of heresy a little more closely. In particular, we will explore some of the meanings of heresy before attempting to ask what heresy might be in a medieval Islamic context.
III. Seeking Muhammad’s Legacy
All of the sectarian movements we will look at in this course consciously attempted to anchor their respective world views in their perception of Muhammad’s legacy. In this session, we will look more closely at what that legacy was. In particular, we will look at the emergence of the Sunni-Shia divide after Muhammad’s death.
IV. The Khawarij
In this session, we will look at the history and thought of perhaps the earliest identifiable sectarian movement, that of the khawarij (literally ‘those who go out’). We will look at some of their key ideas in their historical context.
V. The Early Messianic Groups: the Ghulat Shia and the meaning of Ghuluww
Messianic thought was another important strain amongst ‘heretical’ movements. In this session, we will explore the history and thought of a number of early messianic movements, before assessing the impact of their ideas upon the wider Islamic world.
VI. The Emergence of the Ismailis
The Ismaili school of thought is a long established and important part of the broader Shii tradition. In this session, we will look at the emergence of the Ismailiyya as an identifiable religious group in the early fourth century hijri.
VII. Classical Ismaili Thought
In this session, we will look more closely at the thought of the Classical Ismaili period, starting with the rise of the Fatimid dynasty until the collapse of the Nizari state at Alamut in the thirteenth century
VIII. The Hurufiyya
In this session, we will explore later messianic thought in post-Mongol Iran. In this session, we will look at the Hurufi movement, started by Fazlallah Astarabadi.
IX. The Nurbakhshiyya
In this session, we will look at the Nurbakhshi movement of eastern Iran.
X. Course Conclusion
Peace, one and all…
Having at last worked out how to upload word documents, etc, I decided to overhaul my bibliographical posts. I’ve removed the earlier versions (as they were far too unwieldy and time consuming) and have instead uploaded the original word documents themselves.
The first bibliography contains journal articles relating to the study of early Shi’i history and theology. The second bibliography contains articles relating more generally to the study of Islamic history (political, social and religious). Bibliography number 3 offers references on specific aspects of early Islamic history. All three are works in progress. There are a lot more references to go in yet!
Allahu Ackbar!!! Sometimes new technology really does make our lives easier!
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
Peace, one and all…
I’ve always liked maps, ever since I was a child. So, here’s a really nice map of the early Islamic world, courtesy of the US Government. Enjoy!
Ma’as salama,
Abdur Rahman
 | learnquranonline1 on Abd al-Malik & Hisham |
 | Abdur Rahman on The First Civil War |
 | Su on The First Civil War |
 | ALLAMA DR. MUHAMMAD … on Muslim Spain |
| ALLAMA DR. MUHAMMAD … on The Caliphate of Muawiya |
