Introduction to Islam & Islamic Religious Sciences

NOOR CULTURAL CENTRE ANNOUNCES
TWO COURSES STARTING JANUARY 11, 2009

Introduction to Islam: a public service course at the Noor Cultural Centre, with Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti, 2008-2009 York-Noor Fellow in Islamic Studies

Introduction to the Islamic Religious Sciences: a public service course at the Noor Cultural Centre, with Dr. Laury Silvers. See below for course details.

Registration details and discounted savings for both courses are outlined below.
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Introduction to Islam
A public service course at the Noor Cultural Centre, with Dr. Timothy J. Gianotti, 2008-2009 York-Noor Fellow in Islamic Studies

Designed for the intrigued Torontonian as well as for Muslims seeking an academically-grounded deepening in their faith, this 9-week course promises to provide a thoughtful foundation for understanding Islamic belief, practice, and history, even as it opens up new areas for inquiry and study.

Sunday, January 11, 2009 -- Sunday, March 15, 2009
First class from 10:00 to 12:30 pm
all other classes from 10:00 am – 12 noon
no class on Sunday, February 22

SESSION 1 - January 11
Introductions & Getting Started: The Challenge of Studying Religion & the Special Challenge of Studying Islam in a Post 9/11 World

SESSION 2 - January 18
A First Glimpse into the Essence, Belief, and Mechanics of Islam

SESSION 3 - January 25
Islam's Sacred Worldview, or Belief System

SESSION 4 - February 1
Islam's Path of Sacred Action (Obligatory Religious Practices)

SESSION 5 - February 8
The Eastern Branch of the Abrahamic Covenant: Ishmael, the Ka'ba, and the Mythic History of Arabia Prior to the Rise of Islam

SESSION 6 - February 15
The "Age of Ignorance" and the Dawning of Islam

February 22 - no class this week

SESSION 7 - March 1
Prophecy: Muhammad and the Advent of Qur'ānic Revelations in Mecca

SESSION 8 - March 8
Archetypes & Realities: the Birth and “Perfection” of the Islamic Religion in Medina

SESSION 9 - March 15
Pursuing Ultimate Horizons: A Glimpse into the Mysteries of Being and Becoming "Muslim"

PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW, click here.
Attendance is limited to 20 participants. Course timetable and fees are detailed below.

WHERE: upper library/classroom, Noor Cultural Centre map

WHEN: Sunday, January 11, 2009 -- Sunday, March 15, 2009
First class from 10:00 to 12:30 pm
all other classes from 10:00 am – 12 noon
no class on Sunday, February 22

COURSE REGISTRATION FEE**: $250.00 due by January 4, 2009, payable by cash or credit card to the Noor Cultural Centre, click here to register or call 416-444-7148, ext. 222 (special rates available for students, seniors and the underemployed)

**A discounted fee is offered if you register for both courses at the same time. The discounted fee is $400.00. Payable by cash or credit card to the Noor Cultural Centre, click here to register or call416-444-7148, ext. 222.

COURSE MATERIALS FEE: $25.00 (this fee is not discounted)
(all required course readings will be provided upon registration)

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Introduction to the Islamic Religious Sciences
A public service course at the Noor Cultural Centre, with Dr. Laury Silvers.

Sunday, January 11, 2009 -- Sunday, March 15, 2009
From 1:00 to 3:00 pm

This course will be an introduction to the Islamic Religious Sciences. We will be learning the major terms, concepts, and methods in the traditional study of the Qur'an, Hadith, and Islamic Law: such as the Qur'an's recitative traditions and collection, Hadith collection and methods of authentication, and legal methods of extracting rulings from the Sources. As we gain familiarity with the issues at stake in each religious science, we will move on to discuss our own concerns with the traditional methods. In particular, we will focus on the ethical questions that arise from the process of interpretation. We will be reading some primary sources, but for the most part our course readings will be secular in orientation with a deep appreciation for traditional methods. In readings and discussions our goal will be to integrate secular and religious intellectual methods in order to become "traditionally literate." In other words, I hope that during this course we will become comfortable having informed and mutually beneficial conversations with other Muslims and non-Muslims on these difficult topics.

SESSION 1 - January 11
Introduction to the Course: Bridging Traditional and Secular Thought

SESSION 2 - January 18
The Nature of the Qur'an, the Recitation Traditions and Collection

SESSION 3 - January 25
Our Issues: Grapes or Houris? Talking about the Divinity of the Qur'an

SESSION 4 - February 1
The Qur'an Commentary Tradition and New Readings

SESSION 5 - February 8
Muhammad's (S) Example, Hadith, Transmission, and Collection

SESSION 6 - February 15
The History and Methods of Hadith Criticism

SESSION 7 - February 22
Our Issues: The Ethics of Telling the Story of the Sunna

SESSION 8 - March 1
The Qur'an and Hadith as Sources for Islamic Law

SESSION 9 - March 8
Characteristic Features of Shariah and the Leading Schools of Law

SESSION 10 - March 15
Our Issues: The Ethics of "Best Practices"

PLEASE RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW, click here.
Attendance is limited to 20 participants. Course timetable and fees are detailed below.

WHERE: upper library/classroom, Noor Cultural Centre map
WHEN: starting January 11, 1 PM to 3 PM each Sunday ending on March 15

COURSE REGISTRATION FEE**: $250.00 due by January 4, 2009, payable by cash or credit card to the Noor Cultural Centre, click here to register or call416-444-7148, ext. 222. (special rates available for students, seniors and the underemployed)

**A discounted fee is offered if you register for both courses at the same time. The discounted fee is $400.00. Payable by cash or credit card to the Noor Cultural Centre click here to register or call 416-444-7148, ext. 222 .

COURSE MATERIALS FEE: $25.00 (this fee is not discounted)
(all required course readings will be provided upon registration)

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