The course introduces students to the life of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) from both the perspective of its 1st/7th-century socio-historical context in the Arabian Peninsula, as well as from the perspective of the significance of the narrative of the Prophet’s (pbuh) life for Muslims and non-Muslims living in contemporary socio-historical contexts. The course seeks to cultivate in students a critical awareness of how to relate and apply the narrative of the Prophet to the present context with intellectual and spiritual integrity. Sources include: the classical sira redaction of Ibn Hisham/Ibn Ishaq; contemporary biographies of the Prophet (pbuh) written by both Muslims and non-Muslims; documentaries and docudramas focusing on the life of the Prophet (pbuh); and a variety of sermons attempting to extract lessons for contemporary living from episodes in the life of the Prophet (pbuh)