Islamic University of Rotterdam (IUR)

http://www.islamicuniversity.nl/

Address

: Bergsingel 135, 3037 GC Rotterdam, The Netherlands
Tel:+31 (10) 4854721
Fax: +31 (10) 4843147
E-mail:info@islamicuniversity.nlFoundation and History

The presence of the Muslims and Islam in the Netherlands is a social and historical fact. Since the 60's, Muslims have been allowed to establish their own mosques, foundations, and organizations by virtue of the Dutch law. In consonance with constitutional rights, Muslims have very recently founded Islamic primary and secondary schools within the framework of the financial support of the Dutch government and under the laws organizing the educational system in the Netherlands. Since 1997, the IUR has been founded as a result of initiatives taken by Muslims living in the Netherlands. Since then, the IUR is established as a Dutch University and more importantly as an intellectual contribution of Muslims to the Dutch society.

Current Situation:
Located at the heart of the City of Rotterdam and with a location space of 1980 m2, the University is hosted in a small building. The University has now the status of a Dutch Simplex Ordo university. Within the space of the University, the officially establishedfaculties are theFaculty of the Islamic Sciences, theFaculty of Islamic Arts, and theFaculty of Languages and Civilizations, whereby only the Faculty of the Islamic Sciences is an active component since 1997. Within the University, there are also three fully active institutes: TheInstitute of Islam,the Research Institute, andthe Qur'anRecitation Institute.
There are now 247 students registered at the University, mainly in the Faculty of the Islamic Sciences. These come mainly from nine different countries. As for the teaching staff, there are currently 28 lecturers from five countries. With scholars from the Netherlands and abroad, the study programs along with postgraduate training are following a regularly smooth course, as is mentioned in the Study Guide 2000-2001. After the arrival of a well-experienced rector, lecturers, and researchers, the new study programs and postgraduate training programs are currently being developed.

International Relations
The IUR is a member of the Federation of the Universities of the Islamic World (FUIW) since 1998. FUIW is a body working within the framework of the Islamic Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization -ISESCO-, specializing in supporting Universities and Higher Education institutions of the same level in the Islamic World and encouraging cooperation among them.
The IUR was invited and/or represented in scientific meetings in Rabat, Morocco (1998), Tunisia (1999), Uzbekistan (1999), Saudi Arabia (1999), Gent, Belgium (1999), and Cairo, Egypt (2000), and Turkey. The IUR was also represented in the meeting of "The Integrations of Muslim Scientific and Technological Competences in Europe" which took place in Geneva, Switzerland (26-27 January 2002).At a more international level, the Islamic University is active looking for suitable university partners.

Faculties

Faculty of the Islamic SciencesThe Faculty of the Islamic Sciences is one of the crucially important of the faculties of the University. Dutch is the main language for teaching the social sciences. Modern Standard Arabic is the main language of instruction for the Islamic Sciences. This faculty offers programs of study leading to the degrees M.A. and Ph.D. in Islamic Studies. Preparations are under way to enable the IUR to provide for the Bachelor Degree in Arts, Master Degree in Arts and Ph.D. Degree in Islamic Studies.

A short view of the curriculum

1. THE SCIENCES OF ISLAM

a. Islamic Thought and Creeds

Islamic Theology: Schools and Methods

Basic Creeds of Islam

Sufism: Doctrines and Practices

Islam and Questions of Modernity

Selected Readings in Islamic Creeds
Primary Sources of Islamic Thought
b. Islamic Law and Legal Thought

The Islamic Legal System (Introduction to Islamic Law)

Methods of Islamic Law (Jurisprudence)

Codification of Islamic Law

Jurisprudence of Worship (Purity, Prayers & Fasting, Alms Giving & Hajj)

Islamic Family Law

Islamic Contract Law

Islamic Criminal Law

Human Rights and Islam

Islamic Political System and International Relations

Jurisprudence of Land of Peace (Dar al-Sulh) (How Muslims live in a Non-Muslim Country)
c. The Sciences of the Qur'an

Methods of Qur'anic Sciences (Introduction to Sciences of The Qur'an)

Analytic Commentary of The Qur'an

Thematic Commentary of the Qur'an

The Legal Verses of the Qur'an

Translations of the Qur'an to Western Languages and Current Approaches to the Qur'an

Qur'anic Hermeneutics and Eminent Commentators

The Concept of Ijaz al-Qur'an
Rhetoric in Qur'anic Exegesis
d. The Sciences of The Hadith

Methodology of Hadith (Sunnah=the Tradition of the Prophet Muhammad) (An Introduction to the Sciences of Hadith)

Principles of Approaching Hadith and Contemporary Trends about Sunnah

Great Texts of the Hadith
2. HISTORY
Rise and Expansion of Islam to 132 AH
The Abbasid Caliphate and History of the Ayyubids and Mamluks
Ottoman History and Institutions
History of Modern Islamic World
History of Morocco and Muslim Spain
History and Civilization of Europe
Understanding the Muslim World
Muslim Communities in Non-Muslim States
Islamic Civilization and the Great Empires of Islamic Civilization
Western Perceptions of Islam in the 14th and 15th centuries
Foundations of Western Civilization
Nationalism and Minorities in Europe
Contemporary European History since 1815
3. ISLAMIC PHILOSOPHY AND COMPARATIVE THEOLOGY
Islamic Philosophical Traditions
Studies of Comparative Theology
Islam and Contemporary Western Philosophy
Topical Studies in Comparative Theology
Formal Logic
Islamisation of Knowledge
History of Christianity
History of Judaism
Islam and the Religious-Cultural Diversity in Europe
4. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL SCIENCES
The Netherlands: Western Tradition, Citizenship, and Public Ethics
Islamic Education: Philosophy & Methods
Philosophy of Religion
Historical Theory and Research Methodology
Islamic Ethics (`ilm al-akhlaq)
Islam and the Modern World
Gender and Islam
Media Portrayal of Islam
Orientalism, Misinformation, and Islam
Sociology and Islam
History of Islam and the Philosophy of Arts
Islamic Psychology
History of the Netherlands, Legal System and Higher Education
Contemporary Doctrines in Islam
Islam and Citizenship
Islam and Environmental Education
Islam and Public Ethics
International Perspectives on Islam
Islam in the Dutch Media
Islamic Education in Modern Europe
Islam in the World Literature
Editing and Studies of Islamic Manuscripts
Medical Ethics from the Muslim perspective
5. LINGUISTIC STUDIES
Advanced Modern Standard Arabic 1
Advanced Modern Standard Arabic 2
Colloquial Arabic
Writing in Arabic
History of Arabic Literature
Arabic Syntax (Tarkib)
Arabic Morphology (Sarf)
The Science of the Rhetoric (Ilm al-Balagah)
Religious Orthodoxy and the Formation of the Arabic Linguistic Tradition

Faculty of Islamic Arts

The Faculty of Arts has been launched during the academic year 2001-2002. It is still receiving the new students. The lectures start in the very near future. The faculty of Arts has as objective to teach Islamic Arts such as Calligraphy in terms of their characteristics and developments throughout the Islamic history.This faculty offers programs of study leading to the Bachelor Degree of Arts, Master Degree of Arts and Ph.D. Degree in Islamic.

A short view of the curriculum

1. UNIVERSITY REQUIRED COURSES:
a. Islamic Studies: Introduction to Islam; Islamic Thought; Sufism and Art; Islamic Psychology; Concise History of Islam; Islam in Europe (with a focus on The Netherlands)
b. Arabic Studies (Optional):Elementary Modern Standard Arabic 1; Spoken Arabic for Beginners; Elementary Modern Standard Arabic 2; Spoken Arabic for Beginners (Conversation) 2
2. FACULTY REQUIRED COURSES:
Introduction to Islamic Arts; Muslim Contribution to Humanity and Islamic Civilization; History of Islamic Architecture; Islamic Esthetics; Islamic Ethics; Computer Applications; Cyber Communication; Persian Language (Optional) ; Ottoman Turkish (Optional)
3. DEPARTMENT REQUIRED COURSES:
a. Department of Islamic Calligraphy
b. Department of Islamic Architecture

c. Department ofTazhib (Illumination) and Miniature
d. Department of Islamic Ceramics, Internal Decoration (Çini in Ottoman Empire), and Mosaics
e. Department of Rugs
f. Department of Islamic Bookbinding & Bookmaking and Ebru (Marbling)