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 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 on 8 November 2024

  • Online

    A mix of Pre-Recordings & Live Sessions

  • Course Fee

    £699.00

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.

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 2024 - December 2025

Course Start Date

 8 November 2024

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

Exams & Assignments

 No Exams/Assignments

Course Fee

 £699.00

Certificate

 No

*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 cancellation of, or alteration to, the advertised courses.

A brief overview of syllabus and modules:

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

  • Worldview & Foundations I: The Core Pillars of Western Thought

  • Worldview & Foundations II: Islamic Ontology, Epistemology and Axiology (Ethics)

  • Hyper-rationality and The Epistemic Priority of Reason

  • Do Believers Believe Differently? Exploring Religious Epistemologies

  • Natural Theology: The Mind’s Program of Inquiry into God Existence and Attributes

  • Proofs for God’s Existence: Arguments and Challenges

  • Beyond Human Productive Capacities: Miracles and Evidence for God

  • God-Talk and the Apophatic and Kataphatic Traditions

  • Familiar Puzzles Around Divine Attributes

  • and more

Course Content

Mastercourse on Islam, Philosophy, Science and Religion (IPSR)

IPSR is one of Whitethread’s flagship courses. It offers an introduction to key themes and issues in contemporary Philosophy, Science and Religion and their relation to mainly classical Islamic thought. The course covers topics ranging from religious epistemology, natural theology, the nature and attributes of God, metaethics, philosophical anthropology and then specifically emerging scientific questions that appear to seriously challenge theological beliefs and doctrines. The aim is to familiarise learners with the broad scope of Islamic ideas relating to the issues comprising each lesson topic. This will not only reveal the rich legacy of Islamic intellectual thought but its relevance in how it contains highly cogent theological explanations for perennial puzzles and questions. 

The IPSR course outline is as follows:

Worldview & Foundations I: The Core Pillars of Western Thought

This lesson delves into the foundational principles that have shaped Western intellectual history, such as rationalism, empiricism, and secularism. Students will explore how these ideas evolved and continue to influence contemporary Western thought.

Worldview & Foundations II: Islamic Ontology, Epistemology and Axiology (Ethics)

This lesson introduces key concepts in Islamic creed regarding the nature of reality, knowledge, and ethics. By contrasting with Western frameworks, students will gain a deeper understanding of how Islamic thought addresses fundamental questions about existence, truth, and morality.

Hyper-rationality and The Epistemic Priority of Reason

Rationalism has been celebrated as the ultimate path to knowledge, but is reason alone enough? This lesson introduces Islamic challenges to the over-reliance on hyper-rationality by discussing the limits of reason, intuition, and faith in the acquisition of truth.

Do Believers Believe Differently? Exploring Religious Epistemologies

Different faith traditions approach belief and knowledge uniquely. In this lesson, we explore the western theistic tradition of religious epistemology, i.e. how they define epistemological concepts. We will then explore Islamic religious epistemology, focussing specifically on fiṭra-based epistemologies that eschew evidence for justification of any belief.

Natural Theology: The Mind’s Program of Inquiry into God Existence and Attributes

This course investigates the intellectual endeavour of natural theology, where reason is used to contemplate God’s existence and attributes without relying on revelation. The viability of natural theology will be analysed from an Islamic perspective.

Proofs for God’s Existence: Arguments and Challenges

From the ontological to the moral argument, this lesson offers an in-depth study of classical and modern arguments for God's existence. We will also examine prominent atheist objections and assess their strengths and weaknesses.

Beyond Human Productive Capacities: Miracles and Evidence for God

What is a miracle, and how does it serve as evidence for God’s existence? This lesson will explore philosophical definitions of miracles, their place in religious belief, and how they challenge naturalistic explanations. It will then examine Muslim views towards the possibility of miracles.

God-Talk and the Apophatic and Kataphatic Traditions

How can human language capture divine reality? This lesson delves into the apophatic (negative) and kataphatic (affirmative) traditions of theology, exploring how believers have historically spoken about God’s ineffable attributes and the Islamic iterations of these sensibilities and perspectives.

Familiar Puzzles Around Divine Attributes

Omnipotence, omniscience, and benevolence—these are central to the concept of the traditional theistic God. In this lesson, we tackle philosophical puzzles surrounding divine attributes and attempt to resolve apparent contradictions within these concepts by exploring solutions from the Islamic tradition.

God and the Cause of the Modal Economy

This lesson looks at the relationship between God and the realm of possibilities. We explore how God is understood as the source of not only the actual world but all possible worlds, providing insights into modal logic, modal metaphysics and divine causality. We will also examine how Islamic theological and philosophical precepts may apply to this question.

The Source and Nature of Morality: Introducing Metaethics

This lesson will explore the foundations of moral theory. We will ask whether morality is objective or subjective, and if God is its ultimate source, touching on divine command theory, ethical realism, and moral relativism and their Islamic versions from the classical controversies in Islamic theology.

The Problem of Sentient Suffering: Religious Responses

Suffering poses one of the greatest challenges to belief in the traditional theistic God. This lesson investigates how various religious traditions, have commonly addressed the problem of evil and the existence of suffering in the world. It will then focus on the variety of Islamic responses to this problem.

Naturalism Defeated? The Intractable Problem of Hard Consciousness

Consciousness remains one of the most puzzling phenomena in philosophy and science. This lesson highlights weakness in the naturalistic explanations of consciousness, exploring whether physicalism can adequately account for the depth and range of subjective experience or if a theistic framework is necessary. It will then explore Islamic theological and philosophical ideas to the issue.

What Survives the Body? Personal Identity and the Doctrine of Bodily Resurrection

This lesson will explore the philosophical questions that arise out of personal identity and bodily resurrection. After examining monist and dualist accounts, Islamic theological models of post-mortem survival will be examined.

Friend, Foe or Family? The Relationship between Science and Religion

How does science relate to religion? This relation ranges from antagonism and indifference to cordial and necessary. In this lesson, science’s relation to Islam will be examined and the implications of such a relation.

Examining the Viability of a Scientific Hermeneutics

Can scripture be read scientifically and if so, what does such a scripture-scientific hermeneutic look like? After outlining this, examination will be made of a specifically Islamic-scientific hermeneutics of the Qur’ān (tafsīr ʿilmī) and the challenges arising out of that.

A Forbidden Marriage: Evolution and Theism

This lesson will explore the contemporary issues arising out of ideas and theories within evolutionary biology that appear to complicate theological doctrines. Exploration will be made of how these relate to Islamic doctrines regarding God’s acts, the natural world and human origins.

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