The Language of Islam

Why do we as humans love? What is the nature of the 'self'? Is our experience of the world authentic and real? If there is an ultimate source of the universe, by what means do we access it? These are some of the questions which we will grapple with as we read a selection of the 'great works' of the Islamic tradition. Our readings (all in English translation) will span a variety of genres, including mystical manuals, philosophical tracts, love-poetry, autobiographies, and travelogues. While the lecture component of the course is designed to serve as a broad introduction to the history of Islamic thought and culture, our primary modus operandi will consist in closely and critically analyzing these texts with an eye towards their enduring value to the perennial questions which continue to preoccupy us in the Humanities.