HY435 One Unit
Political Islam from Ibn Taymiyya to ISIS
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Professor Kirsten Schulze
Availability
This course is available on the MA in Modern History, MSc in History of International Relations, MSc in International Affairs (LSE and Peking University), MSc in International and World History (LSE & Columbia), MSc in Social Anthropology (Religion in the Contemporary World) and MSc in Theory and History of International Relations. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: Students should write a short statement supporting their application to take a course. The Teacher Responsible will assign places on the course and their decision is final.
Deadline for application: Please apply as soon as possible. Applications close at 5pm on 10th October 2025, however spaces are likely to fill before this time.
For queries contact: The teacher responsible for the course, as indicated on the course guide. Staff e-mail addresses are listed at https://www.lse.ac.uk/International-History/People.
Course content
This course has five objectives: i. To examine the evolution of political Islam as a set of ideas. ii. To compare and contrast different models of Islamic State. iii. To explore the strategies used by Islamist movements to Islamise a state as well as state strategies to prevent this. iv. To explore the phenomena of transnational Islamism and international jihadism. v. To familiarise the student with some of the primary sources (in translation) and the historiographical controversies. This course looks at the evolution of Islamist philosophy and movements, focusing on ideas as well as intellectual, religious and political leaders. The key areas covered are: Islamist thinkers - Ibn Taymiyya, Wahab, Abdu, Rida, al-Banna, Qutb, Maududi, Khomeini, Faraj, Azzam and Zawaheri; Models of Islamic State - Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Malaysia; Islamist Movements – the Muslim Brotherhood, Islamic Jihad, Hizb'allah, Hamas, the Islamic Salvation Front, and Boko Haram; transnational Islam and international jihadism: Al-Qaeda, Jemaah Islamiyah, and ISIS.
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.
20 hours of seminars in the Autumn Term.
2 hours of seminars in the Spring Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Autumn and Winter Term.
Formative assessment
There are two formative essays (2000 words), one in the Autumn Term and one in the Winter Term. There is also a 1-hour timed essay in the Spring Term.
Assessment
Exam (70%), duration: 180 Minutes in the Spring exam period
Presentation (15%)
Course participation (15%)
Key facts
Department: International History
Course Study Period: Autumn, Winter and Spring Term
Unit value: One unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 18
Average class size 2024/25: 9
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.