The Islamic Traditions

Professor Atta Anzali is well-versed in Safavid Shi‘ism and, to a decent extent, Sufism. The course is engaging, especially in its treatment of political developments and transformations in the Islamic world. If you’re interested in Shi‘ism, Sufism, or the Safavid and Sasanian Empires, you’ll find that Professor Anzali brings depth and clear passion to these topics. That said, the course largely overlooks foundational aspects of Islamic practice. Traditions like Ramadan, Eid, or the five daily prayers receive little to no attention. Professor Anzali often seemed unenthusiastic—or even dismissive—when it came to these core elements of the religion. His own background and intellectual commitments occasionally shaped the structure of the course in ways that felt limiting. While he is a kind and thoughtful scholar, these biases affected how the material was framed and discussed. For students seeking a balanced overview of Islamic tradition, this may be frustrating. This course is also not beginner-friendly. The opening unit on Islamic foundations is especially daunting without prior exposure. I’d strongly recommend seeking out background resources—there are accessible online lectures and videos that make a huge difference. Overall, this is a good course if you’re looking for a deep dive into specific historical and theological strands of Islam. But for a broader introduction to the tradition, expect to do substantial outside learning.

Professor Atta Anzali is well-versed in Safavid Shi‘ism and, to a decent extent, Sufism. The course is engaging, especially in its treatment of political developments and transformations in the Islamic world. If you’re interested in Shi‘ism, Sufism, or the Safavid and Sasanian Empires, you’ll find that Professor Anzali brings depth a …Read more

One of the most engaging and best courses I’ve taken at Middlebury. Professor Anzali is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the material, and his enthusiasm really makes the course interesting. He leads thought-provoking discussion sections and delivers clear, insightful lectures. I learned a great deal from this course, particularly about the historical and social dynamics that led to the rise of fundamentalism in various Middle Eastern countries.

One of the most engaging and best courses I’ve taken at Middlebury. Professor Anzali is incredibly passionate and knowledgeable about the material, and his enthusiasm really makes the course interesting. He leads thought-provoking discussion sections and delivers clear, insightful lectures. I learned a great deal from this course, pa …Read more

I could say many great things about this course. We started with the emergence of Muhammad and his community of believers and then the Qur'an. We then shifted to Mysticism and Sufism in Islam. This is Anzali's bread and butter, I believe. I don't think many people will get a chance to delve into esoteric practices and modes of thought in a normal class on Islam. We then finished our semester with Islamic responses to different modern eras. That was one of my favorite units in any class ever. It totally shifted my perspective of the "enemies" we see in the news here in the West. My advice for those interested in this course: there are 1.5-2.5 hours of reading per class (which is totally manageable); Anzali's lectures are just awesome—he doesn't take account of participation during these, only in discussion on Friday. I do, however, recommend speaking a bit during his lectures (and going to a few office hours) so he gets to know you and vice versa. There are also weekly quizzes on the reading for the first few weeks, too. Not too bad, they just keep you in check. I recommend you take this class if you really want to think critically and have some good convos.

I could say many great things about this course. We started with the emergence of Muhammad and his community of believers and then the Qur'an. We then shifted to Mysticism and Sufism in Islam. This is Anzali's bread and butter, I believe. I don't think many people will get a chance to delve into esoteric practices and modes of though …Read more

This was a fantastic introductory course to Islam. If you are in any way interested in comparative religions or Islam specifically, this is a great class to consider. A lot of material is covered (essentially from the days of Muhammad up until modern-day Islam), and the course moves pretty fast, but Professor Anzali does a fantastic job explaining the concepts, especially in the jurisprudence unit where nuances were crucial.

This was a fantastic introductory course to Islam. If you are in any way interested in comparative religions or Islam specifically, this is a great class to consider. A lot of material is covered (essentially from the days of Muhammad up until modern-day Islam), and the course moves pretty fast, but Professor Anzali does a fantastic …Read more

Ata is a friendly professor and clearly has high regard for the classroom environment. No phones or laptops are allowed (besides taking notes on a tablet), and he is serious about timeliness, so you know he values his class. Honestly, that really helped me actually pay attention and not do other things during his class. It really helps to do the readings, because his lectures are usually a summary of the readings then some of his own tangents.

Ata is a friendly professor and clearly has high regard for the classroom environment. No phones or laptops are allowed (besides taking notes on a tablet), and he is serious about timeliness, so you know he values his class. Honestly, that really helped me actually pay attention and not do other things during his class. It really hel …Read more

I found this class to be fairly easy. The readings were sometimes dense got very specific regarding Islam but I took a lot away from the course considering I did not know that much about Islam. Would highly reccomend if you want to learn more about Islam. I preformed well on the essays but I heard some other students did not just stay close to the text and you will be fine.

Professor Anzali is very engaging and covers the most important parts of the readings in class. The load work isn't too heavy, but there's a few quizzes at the beginning of the semester. Would recommend for anyone who's looking for an intro to Islam course and different perspectives.

Professor Anzali is truly one of the best professors. I took this class with absolutely no background or knowledge of the Islamic religion. Professor Anzali is so passionate and made it easy for me to grasp the content.

This was a very engaging course for me. I took this course because I was interested in learning more about Islam after studying Arabic for a number of years. The readings are doable in about an hour about 70% of the time and never take more than 2 hours. The class itself is super enjoyable and the discussions are interesting. Definitely would recommend

Taking a class with Professor Anzali is a once in a lifetime experience... like actually. He is the reason I became a religion major, and is genuinely devoted to his work and getting students engaged in the field of religious studies, particularly the Islamic Traditions.

This course is quite difficult if you're not used to a lot of readings, like I was. The thing is that there's not much homework other than readings so it's not the worst and it gets easier over time. Still, the readings are very dense and hard to understand on your own, especially if you're not familiar with Islam or religion. On the other hand, Professor Anzali is very engaging and passionate about the material so it helps to relieve some of the burdens. He also goes over readings in class so it helps, but pretty embarrassing when you have no idea what everyone's talking about. I did enjoy this course, though; It just takes a lot of brain power to wrap your head around some concepts.

This course is quite difficult if you're not used to a lot of readings, like I was. The thing is that there's not much homework other than readings so it's not the worst and it gets easier over time. Still, the readings are very dense and hard to understand on your own, especially if you're not familiar with Islam or religion. On the …Read more

I had a great experience learning about Islamic Traditions with Professor Anzali. He is very enthusiastic about the course content and ensures that he delivers it well. There were only 4 quizzes in the first 4 weeks of the semester based on the readings. The discussions sessions on Fridays were also fun and never felt like a hassle.

Anzali is a great professor and the course material is not difficult at all. this is one of the most enjoyable classes i have taken so far. material is not hard to understand even though i have never taken a religion class.

I really like professor Anzali because he is so passionate and excited about his teaching. I will say the readings were pretty dense and sometimes a lot to follow/remember. Lectures could be a little boring but he will throw in some fun jokes to keep you present.

Anzali is the best professor at Middlebury. I loved this class. He is so thoughtful and thought-provoking that you will be forced to look at this new material in several different ways another professor wouldn't have you do. He's amazing.

Ata Anzali is a great professor. I had never taken a religion course, so this was a great intro class for religion. His lectures were engaging and the workload was not too much. He does grade the essays pretty strictly, but he let's you revise them. If you don't say exactly what he wants you to write, then you will likely have to revise your essay. Otherwise, class was good. There are four quizzes on the readings at the beginning of the semester. But after that, you basically just need to read in order to do well on the essays. Great intro religion class!

Ata Anzali is a great professor. I had never taken a religion course, so this was a great intro class for religion. His lectures were engaging and the workload was not too much. He does grade the essays pretty strictly, but he let's you revise them. If you don't say exactly what he wants you to write, then you will likely have to rev …Read more

I think Professor Anzali is great! His lectures are very informative, and the reading load is just right—not too little or too much. The due dates for the papers are well spaced, giving you plenty of time to work on them. Plus, he is very funny and nice!

Anzali is a very cool and funny guy. There are a lot of readings but he explains and talks about the readings in class. There are 4 quizzes in the beginning of the semester but the questions are easy if you skim the readings.