Theology part 1: who/what is “God”?

  • Week 1: Who is Allah? The Attributes and Names (sifat and asma' ) of God
    • How is God described in the Qur'an?
    • What are the "Names/Attributes" of God?
    • How do the Names and Attributes help us relate to God? The moral and spiritual function of the asma'
    • Are God's attributes human-like? The problem of anthropomorphism
  • Week 2: Can we actually understand what God is? The transcendence of God
    • Can God be described in similar terms to human beings in any way?
    • The Qur'ans negative descriptions of God: what God is not
    • The absolute transcendence and unknowability of the Divine vs. our need to relate to and understand God.
  • Week 3: The Unity, Oneness, and Uniqueness of God (tawhid)
    • The Qur'ans critique of polytheism (shirk) and insistence on Oneness of God.
    • What does tawhid mean? What are its different aspects? (oneness, unity, uniqueness)
    • What are the implications of tawhid? How does it impact the way we relate to God and live our lives?
  • Week 4: The Existence of God
    • How do we know God exists?
    • Can we prove God's existence, or is it simply a "leap of faith?
    • What types of evidences and proofs are there for the existence of God?