The class is about the classical period of Islam, ranging from the beginnings of the religion to 1258. Professor is obviously very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about the content. He does not have powerpoint slides or anything. He simply writes words, dates, and key terms on the chalk board and discusses them. This makes it a little difficult to follow at times. There was a short, 500 word, movie review at about a month into the semester. These were graded very leniently by the TA. There is a longer, 1500 word, essay due at about the midpoint of the semester. We were given a topic, but also had the freedom to choose our own if we wished. We were supposed to have a midterm, but the professor decided to scratch it out. Then there is a final, consisting of identifying key terms and answering a few short answer questions. There is a weekly discussion section component of the class, where participation is graded, but the TA is very lenient about this. We have been given a list of terms to review for the exam, but I would appreciate a study guide. There are quite a few books to get for this class, but all can be found online. The readings each week aren't too bad, but you can get away by skimming or even skipping them some weeks. Overall, interesting and informative class. The professor also teaches another class, Global Islam, in the next semester, which picks up where this class ends. #tCFF23