In his book The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss, the American Christian theologian and philosopher David Bentley Hart provides an account for what traditional theology has put forth on what the term God means and what it entails. It is interesting to note that this work can arguably be considered to be more directed at […]
Tag Archives: Belief
08
Oct
Oct
On September 15th, 2017 I was invited by the Muslim Student Association at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia to participate in a discussion panel the Peter Slezak, a philosopher of science. The general theme was the question “If God Exists, Where is He?” We spoke for close to 3 hours on […]
30
Jul
Jul
The relationship between Islam and Science, and the topic of Evolutionary Theory are among the chief concerns many young Muslims find themselves having to deal with. In addition, many Muslims undertake graduate level degree programs in Islamic Studies departments in Western universities, but they hardly have spent time in traditional study of the religion, and […]
23
Jul
Jul
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ is reported to have said, “Every newborn is born upon the Fitra, then their parents will turn them into a Jew, a Christian, or a Magian.” Topics addressed in this episode include the questions: What is the Fitra, and how does it relate to instinct and to human nature? Is morality innate or acquired? […]
16
Jul
Jul
What makes something true and a belief about a proposition a valid one? The philosophical literature is rich with discussions and theories about the nature of Truth, much of which may appear to be more of an exercise in intellectual musings. However, there is a real personal impact one will experience when they have to […]
21
May
May
Our modern age is one purported to elevate rationality above everything and everyone. Religious belief is considered a deficiency in reasoning capacity, and the education system promotes this idea most strongly at the college/university level. It is practically taken for granted that for one to have an objective about a religion, they must be an […]
21
Dec
Dec
The Creed of Deliverance is a short poem composed by the great Moroccan scholar Imam Muhammad ibn Ja’far al-Kittānī. It contains the basic foundations of creed that were typically taught to young Muslim children as a premier text before they delved into more complex theological matters if that was the path they wanted to take. […]
05
Oct
Oct
One of the most often cited reasons for leaving religion appeals to science. More specifically, Pew Research Center reports that many American “nones” lost their faith after they went away to college and learned about evolution. Contrary to the fields of physics and chemistry, biology stands apart in its impact on religious belief. This may […]
27
Jul
Jul
The following is an excerpt from Islam Between East and West by ‘Alija ‘Ali Izetbegović (1925–2003), which was first published in 1984. The best remark that can be made about this book is one that I came across in a review posted on Amazon in 2011 by Julia Simpson: “This is a heady distillation of intellectual Muslim thought, demonstrating […]
17
Mar
Mar
Neil Postman’s book Technopoly remains as relevant today as it was when he published it in 1992. I’ve been contemplating and reading for a while now about the impact of the public’s reception of technoogy on their perception of science. It appears, at least to me, that it’s often the case that when those who are […]
In his autobiography Deliverance from Error (Al-Munqidh Min Adh-Dhalal), Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazālī explains how he dealt with his skepticism on the path to attaining certainty regarding what beliefs he adopted. He mastered the tenets of the major intellectual movements of his time and authored books in each, garnering the praise of figures within these movements […]
08
Aug
Aug
Philosophy matters. Yet, we find some people steeped in self-assured ideologies, whether it is scientism or zealous religion, continuing to declare that philosophy is a waste of time. Both sides cry out for practicality, and claim philosophy has no real-life applicability. Hence, they declare it a form of idle mental exercise that leads to obfuscation […]
06
Jul
Jul
“The most dangerous prison is the one where you can’t see the bars.” Dr. Tariq Ramadan These are confusing times. A short reflection on what one stands for and what they believe in is bound to generate a self-induced state of anxiety. This is especially the case for many of those raised in traditional households […]