Understanding the life of the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad, is central and essential to understanding Islam. This course will present the facts as documented in the Qur'an and accounts of the life, words and actions of the Prophet and his followers. These words and actions were carefully documented by early Muslims in books, known as the Hadiths. Islam will also be explored as a religion including the Qur'an, the Sunni/Shia split, the five pillars of Islam: profession of faith, prayer, fasting, alms, and the pilgrimage to Mecca, plus a lot more. PowerPoint, videos, pictures and lecture will be used to cover the period 570 CE to 632 CE as documented by the Hadiths. It is fair to say that without knowing the history of the Prophet, it is impossible to understand the religion as it is manifested in the modern world. If you understand this, you're well on your way to understanding Islam. There will be time for questions at each class.
NOTE: Copies of the Qur’ans (Koran in the usual English transliteration) are readily available online and a few copies will be available in class.