REL 282 - Picturing Muhammad? Perceptions of the Prophet from the Hijra to Hip-Hop

Crosslisted With HIST 282
FDR: HU Humanities Distribution
Credits: 3

Same as REL 282. To Muslims, Muhammad is a prophetic figure whose model life is to be emulated; to non-Muslims, a controversial figure that has stirred the imagination for centuries. Through an analysis of the earliest non-Muslim sources on Muhammad, to insider Muslim narratives of the prophet’s miraculous life, to polemical medieval Christian stories about him, to Deepak Chopra and Muhammad in hip-hop, this course explores the various historical, literary, and media representations of Muhammad. We will pay special attention to recent controversies on visual depictions of Muhammad, as well as contemporary ritual practices surrounding the embodiment of Islam’s most important prophet.