Undergraduate Module Descriptor

ARA3046: Islam, Muslims and the Environment

This module descriptor refers to the 2022/3 academic year.

Module Aims

The overarching aim of this module is to provide you with a well-rounded introduction to key relationships between Islam (as a religious tradition), Muslims (as individual and institutional actors, past and present), and the environment (both in its natural state, and under the impact of the current ecological crisis). The module also aims to help you begin to appreciate how multidisciplinarity is necessary to be able to participate debates around environmental sustainability and global Muslims.

The module is recommended for multi- and inter-disciplinary pathways; and to anyone who wishes to learn the basics about ‘Islam, Muslims and the environment’, from an academic or practitioner perspective.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.

On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. Demonstrate familiarity with the various ways in which the environmental crisis is affecting global Muslims (at the environmental, socioeconomic and political levels), and how these are interrelated
2. Demonstrate conceptual awareness of key environmental notions/principles (ethical, juridical, practical) from the Islamic tradition
3. Demonstrate knowledge of ongoing Muslim ‘greening processes’ (environmentally-focused discourses, trends, initiatives, actors, etc.); and an understanding of how these relate to each other, and to broader contexts
Discipline-Specific Skills4. Find, employ and analyse reliable (primary and secondary) data and sources from the multiple disciplines engaged through the module, which are relevant to specific issue areas
5. Develop critical arguments by applying concepts/theories/analytical approaches from different disciplines
6. Demonstrate familiarity with a multidisciplinary approach to key themes and issues related to Islam, Muslims and the environment
Personal and Key Skills7. Conduct independent work/research
8. Find, synthesise and analyse information from a wide range of sources and disciplinary perspectives
9. Demonstrate analytical writing skills, including reasoned, coherent and supported argumentation