EdX

Islam Through Its Scriptures (edX)

Islam Through Its Scriptures (edX)

Learn about the Quran, the central sacred text of Islam, through an exploration of the rich diversity of roles and interpretations in Muslim societies. How can you improve your understanding of Islam and its most important holy text, the Quran? How can you make sense of a tradition and a text that have been interpreted in different ways across vast geographical spaces for nearly a millennium and a half?

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see EdX's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

Using a multimedia and student-centered approach, this religion course provides tools and perspectives for understanding the role of the Quran in the Islamic tradition. Learners will develop the skills and context to read the text themselves, while also being introduced to some of the issues classical and contemporary interpreters have addressed. This approach enables learners to explore the influence of the Quran on diverse Muslim understandings of Islam.

This course is part of the World Religions Through Their Scriptures XSeries Program.

What you'll learn:

  • An introduction to the place of the Quran in Muslim cultures
  • Major themes of the Quran
  • The historical and cultural contexts of the Quran
  • Interpretive skills that enable a more nuanced reading of the Quran
  • Diverse approaches Muslims have adopted to engaging with Quranic texts, including issues in contemporary interpretation
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Malaya

Maqasid Al-Shariah and Sustainable Development (FutureLearn)

Discover how religion, particularly Islamic teachings, and scientific knowledge can work together towards sustainable solutions. Use a blend of religion and science to explore sustainability. Sustainable Development is one of the most comprehensive worldwide concepts today in the quest to safeguard the environment. This principle of sustainability has been discovered to be intrinsically linked to the concept of Shariah, which emphasises the importance of continuity not just in this world, but also in the afterlife.

Self Paced
3 Weeks
Literati China: Examinations, Neo-Confucianism, and Later Imperial China (edX) EdX
HarvardX,Harvard University

Literati China: Examinations, Neo-Confucianism, and Later Imperial China (edX)

Explore China’s imperial period, with a focus on the Song dynasty and the role of the exam system in government. Fundamental changes in government, the economy, and broader society took place between the 8th and 11th centuries in China. The state aristocracy gave way to new literati elite: educated men who sought to enter government through competitive examinations. A new kind of Confucianism also took shape, which prized the moral autonomy of individuals. With this, the later imperial period of China’s history begins.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Christian-Muslim Relations (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University of Edinburgh

Christian-Muslim Relations (FutureLearn)

Uncover important themes in the history of Christian-Muslim relations and understand the politics that continue to shape it. Gain an insight into the academic study of Christian-Muslim Relations. On this innovative four-week course, you’ll be introduced to the academic study of Christian-Muslim Relations with the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh.

Oct 3rd 2022
4 Weeks
Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims (Coursera) Coursera
University of Colorado System

Coexistence in Medieval Spain: Jews, Christians, and Muslims (Coursera)

This course explores Jewish, Christian, and Muslim intercultural relations in Iberia from the Visigothic era (6th century CE) until the creation of Queen Isabel I and King Ferdinand II Catholic Spain (late 15th century). We evaluate the many identities of the peninsula known as Christian Hispania, Jewish Sefarad, and Islamic al-Andalus. We trace the origins and trajectory of conflict between these communities (the Muslim conquest of Spain, Christian Reconquista, prohibitions blocking intermixing of peoples, and expulsions).

Aug 3rd 2026
5-12 Weeks
Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures (edX) EdX
HarvardX,Harvard University

Religious Literacy: Traditions and Scriptures (edX)

Learn how to better understand the rich and complex ways that religions function in historic and contemporary contexts. The study of religion is the study of a rich and fascinating dimension of human experience that includes but goes well beyond beliefs and ritual practices. In this religion course, learners explore case studies about how religions are internally diverse, how they evolve and change through time, and how religions are embedded in all dimensions of human experience.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Constitutional Struggles in the Muslim World (Coursera) Coursera
University of Copenhagen

Constitutional Struggles in the Muslim World (Coursera)

Learn what motivates the restive Muslim youth from Tunis to Tehran, what political positions Islamists from Mali to Chechnya are fighting for, where the seeming obsession with Islamic law comes from, where the secularists have vanished to, and whether it makes sense to speak of an Islamic state. This course is a survey of the constitutional ideas and institutions that have developed since the mid 19th century throughout predominantly Muslim countries, but its focus will lie on the actors that have dominated this discourse and shaped its outcomes. We will look at the large body of classical writings on the Islamic state only in so far as it is necessary to understand the contemporary debate, but concentrate on the legal and political developments of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Aug 17th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Tangible Things: Discovering History Through Artworks, Artifacts, Scientific Specimens, and the Stuff Around You (edX) EdX
HarvardX,Harvard University

Tangible Things: Discovering History Through Artworks, Artifacts, Scientific Specimens, and the Stuff Around You (edX)

Gain an understanding of history, museum studies, and curation by looking at, organizing, and interpreting art, artifacts, scientific curiosities, and the stuff of everyday life. Have you ever wondered about how museum, library, and other kinds of historical or scientific collections all come together? Or how and why curators, historians, archivists, and preservationists do what they do?

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Introduction to the Quran: The Scripture of Islam (edX) EdX
University of Notre Dame,NotreDameX

Introduction to the Quran: The Scripture of Islam (edX)

Discover the themes of the Quran, its role within Islam, meaning to Muslims, and relationship with the Bible. According to Islamic tradition, the Quran is not simply an inspired scripture. It is a divine book brought down from heaven by the angel Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad, and its message is the key to heaven. Join us for an exploration of the scripture that is the word of God to over a billion people.

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks
Why Religion Matters: Religious Literacy, Culture and Diversity (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
The Open University

Why Religion Matters: Religious Literacy, Culture and Diversity (FutureLearn)

Discover why religion is important for understanding and engaging with global challenges. Consider the ways religion affects personal and political decision-making. Religion not only influences personal behaviours and ethics, but it’s also relevant to international conflicts and domestic policy decisions. On this course, you will gain a broader understanding of why religion matters in society and in different cultures.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Religion, Conflict and Peace (edX) EdX
HarvardX,Harvard University

Religion, Conflict and Peace (edX)

Explore the diverse and complex roles that religions play in both promoting and mitigating violence. In this course, we will explore a series of contemporary conflicts in different regions of the world with a special focus on identifying and analyzing the diverse and complex roles that religions play in both promoting and mitigating violence in each context.

Self Paced
Self-Paced