Tag: Theology
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How an Anglo-Gujarati Mufti Kept the Vows of Shāh Walī Allāh in America
This essay charts both the life and the afterlife of Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī, the preeminent thinker of the late Mughal empire, whose synthesis of revelation, philosophy, and mysticism sought to rescue Islam’s intellectual tradition amid imperial decay. Set within the luminous yet collapsing world of eighteenth-century Delhi, it follows Walī Allāh’s education, his journeys…
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Understanding Ibn Taymiyya’s Approach to Theology
Indibutably, Ibn Taymiyya is heralded as one of the more unique figures within the Islamic civilization and its scholastic tradition. A radically non-conformist scholarly dissenter, he considered himself unbound by the expectations of tradition and the religious accretions of preceding centuries, which had molded contemporary Islam into its normative, orthodox form.
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Finding a Balance Between Reason and Revelation
Muslim theologians differed for centuries in dealing with the concept of categorical verses (muḥkam) and ambiguous verses (mutashābih), giving rise to questions such as: What method should be applied when reason seems to contradict revelation?
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Halal Consumption and Our Spiritual Health
We must be scrupulous in what we eat because the rest of human civilization depends on us. The actions of non-Muslims are not as important as the actions of Muslims — it is the actions of Muslims that govern the welfare of the entire planet. We are responsible for what happens in the world. Our…
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Reflections On Love and Suffering
The term dīn is not understood in our Tradition as the term “religion” is throughout Western religious history, but rather carries four primary significations: (1) indebtedness; (2) submissiveness; (3) judicious power; (4) natural inclination or tendency. [1]
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From Principles to Patients: Darul Qasim College’s Approach to Islamic Bioethics
What is the ‘Muslim’ response to June 24th, when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, allowing states to develop their own standards for abortion laws? How can shifāʾ — the all-encompassing cure mentioned in the Quran — inform the modern drug development pipeline? Where can Muslim physicians draw on their desire for ihsān (excellence)…
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Al-Sha’rawi and the Neglect of Judgment Day
It is clear from the words of al-Sha’rawi that discussion and observance of the signs of Judgement Day are an essential component of a healthy Muslim consciousness. Most Muslims who have made a slight effort to learn a thing or two about their religion have heard the narration known as Hadith Jibril, wherein the Messenger…
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Shaykh Amin Kholwadia on Theology and Ontology in Medical Ethics
I’m going to try and explain the terminologies so it becomes easier for us to explain what we hope to do with bioethics or Islamic bioethics. Theology as the owner: the study of God and what God wants, God’s will, and what God wants us to believe in. That is the Islamic outlook. Ontology is…
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Re-examining Evolution Through the Theological Lens of Ḥujjatul Islām
Having emerged from a particular European intellectual milieu, Darwin’s ideas have influenced the world in a way nobody could have imagined. In disciplines ranging from science to theology, Darwinism and later Neo-Darwinism continue to widen their reach. Religious traditions, particularly Islam, are no exception. There exists a long history of tension and attempted reconciliation between…
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Fazlur Rahman as a Modern Mutakallim
A Book Review of The Theological Thought of Fazlur Rahman: A Modern Mutakallim by Ahad M. Ahmed, a significant addition to modern Islamic thought in general and to the literature on the life and thought of Fazlur Rahman.