Islamic Theology
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Introducing Shāh Walī Allāh’s al-Maktūb al-Madanī fī Taḥqīq Waḥdat al-Wujūd wa-Waḥdat al-Shuhūd
One of the most sensitive and subtle theological and metaphysical discussions in the later Islamic intellectual tradition is the relationship between waḥdat al-wujūd and waḥdat al-shuhūd. The short monograph al-Maktūb al-Madanī, authored by Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī, addresses this question with a blend of the precision of the discursive theologians (mutakallimīn) and the deep insight of the spiritual masters,… Continue reading
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Excerpt: Lessons of Faith by Ḥakīm al-Ummah Ashraf ʿAlī al-Thānawī
Produced below is a selection from the first chapter of an upcoming translation of Mawlānā Ashraf ʿAlī al-Thānawī’s work Taʿlīm al-Dīn, which is a concise manual of Islamic precepts that cover a wide range of topics, including theology, law, ethics, mysticism, and politics. The first draft of the entire translation and its footnotes were recently… Continue reading
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The Question of Fallen Angels and the Nature of Iblīs: Was Satan an Angel or of the Jinn?
Long overdue, I am posting an excerpt on “The Question of Fallen Angels” from the Integrated Encyclopedia of the Qurʾān in response to a relatively amicable debate that occurred during a study circle on the question of the validity of the assertion that Shayṭān wasn’t necessarily an angel but possibly from the Jinn. The argument was… Continue reading
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Suggested Texts for Studying Māturīdī Kalām
In response to a recent enquiry into suggested paths of study of Maturidi works (in light of the enquirer’s particular desire to add to the curriculum of study provided by most institutes in the subcontinent), I am providing a short list of suggested readings that can be studied on one’s own but are preferably read… Continue reading