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?