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HU Credits:
2
Degree/Cycle:
2nd degree (Master)
Responsible Department:
Comparative Religion
Semester:
1st Semester
Teaching Languages:
English
Campus:
Mt. Scopus
Course/Module Coordinator:
Hannelies Koloska
Coordinator Office Hours:
upon appointment
Teaching Staff:
Dr. Hannelies Koloska
Course/Module description:
This course explores the concept of al-ghayb (the unseen) and its importance in Muslim belief, practice, and thought. The concept al-ghayb refers to the hidden, unseen, or invisible, and includes a range of important phenomena in Muslims' everyday lives. The realm of the unseen (ʿālam al-ghayb) includes both those parts of reality that simply cannot be seen and those phenomena that cannot by their nature be perceived (e.g. God, paradise, the past, or the future). The belief in the al-ghayb is a central part of Muslim faith and plays a role concerning knowledge and revelation, dreams and visions, and to the powers of jinn, angels, magic, or evil eyes. The unseen is full of power and potential; but the enticement of the territories of the unseen is also disturbing, troublesome, and even dangerous. We will examine how al-ghayb is foundational to Islamic theology, philosophy, mysticism, and practices.
Course/Module aims:
To introduce students to the key concept of al-ghayb in Islamic theology and Muslim beliefs.
To provide students with an overview of the development of the concept of “al-ghayb” in different epistemologies through the study of primary sources.
To connect textual studies with Muslim practices.
Learning outcomes - On successful completion of this module, students should be able to:
Understand the foundational role of al-ghayb in Islamic theology and its relation to other key Islamic doctrines (e. g. belief in angels, afterlife, the nature of God).
Analyze philosophical and theological debates surrounding al-ghayb.
Explore the role of mystical experience in Islam as an important part of Islamic religious practice and theology.
Discuss practices and beliefs involving the unseen in Muslim cultures.
Critically engage with primary Islamic texts and secondary scholarship to develop a nuanced understanding of how al-ghayb is perceived and approached across different Islamic traditions.
Attendance requirements(%):
100, In case of absence, the teacher has to be notified (not more than 2 times).
Teaching arrangement and method of instruction:
-group/pair or individual works
-interactive learning
Course/Module Content:
Texts and Discussions:
1) Scriptural Foundations: Al-Ghayb in the Qur’an and Hadith
2) Scriptural Foundations: Human sensory capabilities and limitations to access al-ghayb in the Qur’an and Hadith
3) Theology and Philosophy: The Absolute and the Relative Al-Ghayb
4) Theology and Philosophy: Reason and Revelation – the access to knowledge of the unseen
5) Mystical Experience: Access to the Unseen
Practices:
6) Dreams and Visions
7) Angels and Jinn
8) Healing
Required Reading:
MacDonald, D.B., & Gardet, L. (2012). al-G̲h̲ayb. In P. Bearman (ed.), Encyclopaedia of Islam New Edition Online (EI-2 English). Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1573-3912_islam_COM_0231
Bar-Asher, M. M. (2018). Hidden and the Hidden. In Encyclopaedia of the Qur'ān Online. Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/1875-3922_q3_EQSIM_00190
Bubandt, Nils ; Rytter, Mikkel ; Suhr, Christian; Dordrecht (2019). “A second look at invisibility: Al-Ghayb, Islam, ethnography,”, Contemporary Islam13.1, pp.1-16.
Mittermaier, Amira (2019). "The Unknown in the Egyptian Uprising: Towards an Anthropology of Al-Ghayb." Contemporary Islam 13.1: 17-31.
Additional Reading Material:
TBA
Grading Scheme :
Essay / Project / Final Assignment / Referat 50 %
Presentation / Poster Presentation / Lecture/ Seminar / Pro-seminar / Research proposal 25 %
Active Participation / Team Assignment 25 %
Additional information:
This course will be taught in English.
Arabic is an asset. Primary sources will be read in English translation.
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