This part of the program will introduce the students to the essential ideas, thinkers' terminologies, texts, methodologies, and debates within the Western intellectual tradition – philosophy, theology, history, and polity.

This course is a module from the Advanced Islamic Theology ('Aqidah) and Philosophy Program.

This is the ideal course for imams, teachers, and any Islamic scholar or leader wanting to understand the modern-day ideological challenges.

This course is a module from the Advanced Islamic Theology ('Aqidah) and Philosophy Program.

  • Dates

    The course starts in November 2023

  • Online

    A mix of Pre-Recordings & Live Sessions

  • Course Fee

    £699.00

Introductory Session


What our students say about the program

“… Before partaking in the course I was wary of studying philosophy since I have heard negative feedback on it…However, Alhamdulillah through the guidance of amazing and inspirational teachers I was able to appreciate works of philosophy and can now clearly see the foundation of ideas and how philosophical arguments regarding epistemology and even the metaphysics arose.”

Sumaiya Hossain UK

“The theology course isn’t only recommended but in my honest opinion mandatory for every graduate of any Darul Uloom institute. Especially in contemporary times where so many Muslims are confused and challenged with regards to the orthodox Sunni approach to theology. The teachers for both the theology and faith foundation classes will always try to ensure students understand everything properly and will never shy away from taking questions.””

Asad Ahmed, UK

Instructor

Dr. Safaruk Chowdhury
Ustad Imran Iqbal

Duration

November 2023 - July 2024

Course Start Date

November 2023

Sessions

Online (Pre-Recordings of the live sessions are available for this course)

Timings


Live Sessions Fridays from 6pm UK Time.
Pre-Recorded sessions are released to the student weekly

Course Fee

£699.00

*Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this course is correct at the time of publication. Courses are subject to ongoing development, which could necessitate the advertised courses' cancellation or alteration.

A brief overview of syllabus and modules:

The aforementioned syllabus will be taught through the following five modules:

  • Module 1: Worldview Foundations
    (6 sessions)

  • Module 2: Natural Theology
    (6 sessions)

  • Module 3: The Nature and Attributes of God
    (6 Sessions)

  • Module 4: Ethics & Metaethics
    (6 sessions)

  • Module 5: Theological Anthropology
    (6 sessions)

  • Module 6: Islam & Science
    (6 sessions)

Course Content

Worldview Foundations
Foundational Principles
Islamic Epistemology
Ontology
Islamic Ethics
Islamic Law
Modern Western Thought (Overview of Foundations)
Natural Theology
Islam and Natural Theology
Reason and Revelation
Kalām Proofs for the Existence of God
The Miraculous Nature of the Qur’ān (iʿjāz al-qur’ān)
A Contemporary Typology of Theistic Arguments for God’s Existence
Half a Dozen Different Arguments for God’s Existence
The Nature and Attributes of God
God Talk (An Overview)
Kalām (rationalist) approaches to God
Traditionalist (scripturalist) approaches to God
Non-Consistentising approaches to God (The Way of Paradox)
Puzzles of Divine Attributes and Islamic Theological Responses
The Logic and Semantics of Puzzles about Divine Attributes
Ethics & Metaethics
Metaethics (An Overview)
Moral Foundations in Islam (moral realism and divine command theory)
Reason & Morality (al-taḥsīn wa-l-taqbīḥ)
The Problem of Evil & Islamic Responses
The Problem of Hell & Islamic Responses
The Logic and Semantics of the Problem of Evil
Theological Anthropology
Theological and Philosophical Anthropology (An Overview)
The (Hard) Problem of Consciousness
Theories of Personhood in Islamic Theology and Philosophy
Neuroscience and the Soul
Bodily Resurrection and Personal Identity
The Modern Concept of Self and Gender
Islam & Science
Science and Religion (An Overview)
The Qur’ān and Scientific Hermeneutics (tafsīr ʿilmī)
The Qur’ān and Scientific Miracles (iʿjāz ʿilmī)
God, Cosmology and Physics
Islam and Evolution
The Metaphysics, Hermeneutics and Epistemology of Islamic Philosophy of Science

Instructor(s)

Dr. Safaruk Chowdhury

Instructor

Studied Philosophy as an undergraduate at Kings College London after which he travelled to Cairo to study the Islamic studies curriculum at al-Azhar university, focussing on Islamic law. He also studied extensively in private with a number of scholars with a keen interest in Arabic tafsir (exegesis) and balagha (rhetoric). He returned to the UK where he completed his MA in Islamic studies with distinction at SOAS thereafter taking up his doctoral studies on the life and work of the great khurasanian Sufi and hadith specialist Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami (d. 412/1021). His PhD was published in 2018 by Equinox Publishing. Currently, he is pursuing studies in philosophical theology and Sufism with a forthcoming publication on the problem of evil within Islamic thought (AUC Press). He is a professional translator, teacher and examiner as well as curriculum consultant for GCSE, A-Level and the International Baccalaureate (IB) programs.

Ustad Imran Iqbal

Instructor

After initially completing his Masters degree in Engineering (MEng) at Queen Mary University (University of London) went on to diversify his academic background by pursuing an MA from SOAS (University of London) in Near and Middle Eastern Studies and another from Birkbeck College (University of London) in Philosophy with his thesis written on Imam al-Ghazali’s view on scientific knowledge and causality. He has also pursued classical Islamic knowledge by studying under a number of local Ulama in London and concentrating on basic Islamic sciences such as Ilm al-Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, Ulum al-Hadith, Aqida and Ilm al-Kalam. His areas of interest include: Islamic philosophy and theology, Islamic legal theory, Islamic history of ‘ideas’, philosophy of science and the scientific method, epistemology and metaphysics in Western and Islamic thought. He has a number of published book reviews in specialist academic journals and is currently pursuing a research project tentatively titled, ‘Trajectories in Islamic theological dispute’. He is also a qualified teacher of Physics and Critical Thinking.

Why Study at Whitethread Institute?

  • Great studying environment

  • Interactive discussions between students and teachers

  • High level discussions where teachers are open to questions and do not shy away from sensitive or controversial issues

  • Comfortable studying environment

  • In depth coverage of topics

  • Deep understanding of the nuances of fiqh

  • Experienced and knowledgeable teachers

  • Students guided throughout their studies

  • All lessons taught in a practical manner relevant to current times