Adult Literacy

The Rational Creed: Aqidah and Kalam for the Thinking Muslim

What does it mean to believe with clarity in an age of confusion?

This course invites students into the heart of Islamic theology, where timeless truths meet the urgent questions of today. Through the rigorous tools of ʿIlm al-Kalām and the enduring light of revelation, learners will explore how reason and faith intersect—and why that intersection matters more than ever. Whether confronting atheism, grappling with science, or navigating moral relativism, this is a space to think deeply, believe firmly, and live faithfully.

Course Description

This course is an immersive journey into the heart of Islamic theology where timeless creed (ʿAqīdah) meets rigorous intellectual inquiry (ʿIlm al-Kalām). Designed for students who seek to understand, internalize, and articulate their faith with both conviction and clarity, this course explores how Islamic theology has historically engaged reason and how it can continue to do so in the face of modern-day challenges.

Across eleven dynamic modules, students will examine the foundational doctrines of belief through a theological lens that is both rooted in classical Sunni orthodoxy and responsive to contemporary issues. From grappling with atheism and scientism to understanding evolution, AI, and pluralism, this course arms students with the theological depth and rational tools needed to stand firm in their faith in an era of doubt and disorientation.

Meet The Instructors

Select modules within The Rational Creed: Aqidah and Kalam for the Thinking Muslim will be taught by a distinguished lineup of scholars and subject-matter experts, each bringing their own depth of specialization to the classroom. This collaborative approach ensures that students benefit from a diversity of perspectives ranging from seasoned theologians to contemporary thinkers well-versed in philosophy, science, and sociopolitical thought. By learning from multiple voices rooted in the same tradition, students will experience a rich, dynamic, and multidimensional engagement with the topics at hand.

  • Born and raised in the greater Philadelphia area, Mawlana Dr. Mateen Khan is uniquely positioned at the intersection of two rigorous worlds: modern medicine and traditional Islamic scholarship. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Temple University School of Medicine and went on to complete a residency in Emergency Medicine. While practicing as an ER physician, he also undertook the demanding ʿĀlimiyyah program at Darul Uloom Al-Madania in Buffalo, NY.

    His pursuit of sacred knowledge later took him to Chatham, Ontario, where he completed his seminary studies at Darul Uloom Canada. There, he received formal ijāzāt (authorizations) to teach the Islamic sciences, including the canonical six books of Hadith (Sihah Sittah). Mawlana Dr. Mateen’s current academic and teaching interests include ʿAqīdah (Islamic creed), Tafsīr (Qur’anic exegesis), and the dynamic engagement between theology and the lived experience of modern professionals. His teaching reflects a rare blend of precision, practicality, and deep reverence for Islamic tradition.

  • Mawlana Tahseen N. Khan was born and raised in the Philadelphia region. He completed the renowned Dars Nizami curriculum mainly through private, in-person studies under numerous authorized Islamic scholars. He currently resides with his family in the suburbs of Chicago while working full-time as a chemical engineer and pursuing advanced studies in Islamic theology under the tutelage of his teachers. He is also the author of Provenance of Man.

  • Mawlana Muhammad Umar completed his Alim course at Darul Uloom Canada in Cha-tham, Ontario, laying a strong foundation in the Islamic sciences. Seeking to refine his linguistic and analytical skills, he pursued an intensive six-month specialization in Arabic in Karachi. His academic journey culminated at Zaytuna College, where he earned a Master's in Islamic Texts, with a concentration in Islamic philosophy and theology. His thesis, From Dialectic to Demonstration: Exploring the Umur Amma and Their Impact on Later Kalam, delves into the evolution of key metaphysical concepts in Islamic theology.

    Before joining DarusSalam as an instructor, he immersed himself in both classical and contemporary Islamic thought, blending rigorous traditional study with a deep engagement in philosophical discourse.

Syllabus

Syllabus

Module 1
Foundations of Aqidah and the Framework of Kalam

Lays the intellectual and historical groundwork of Islamic theology. Explores how ʿIlm al-Kalām emerged as a discipline to defend revelation, affirm divine oneness, and provide an epistemological foundation for belief.

  • The Enduring Relevance of Aqidah and Kalam in the 21st Century

  • The Development of Ilm al-Kalam: Historical Schools and Contributions

  • Tawḥīd: Oneness of God Through Rational and Scriptural Proofs

  • The Role of Revelation and Reason: Sources of Knowledge in Classical Kalam

Module II
Human Intellect, Fitrah, and the Function of ʿAql in Theology

Investigates the Qur'anic view of intellect, human moral awareness, and the intersection of reason and faith. Provides kalamic responses to reductionist and materialist conceptions of consciousness.

  • The Quranic Emphasis on Intellect (ʻAql), Knowledge (ʻIlm), and Understanding (Fahm)

  • Fitrah and Rational Intuition in Kalām

  • Humanity as Khalīfatullāh and Moral Responsibility

  • Kalam on Consciousness: Responses to Reductionism

  • Impact of Technology on Cognition from a Kalamic Perspective

Module III
Science, Causality, and the Limits of Empiricism in Kalām

 Engages with scientific paradigms and their metaphysical assumptions. Revisits classical arguments like ḥudūth al-ʿālam, addresses the problem of causality, and affirms divine agency in a universe governed by laws.

  • Islam and the Philosophy of Science

  • Kalam Cosmological Arguments

  • The Problem of Evil and Divine Justice in Natural Law

Module IV
Evolution and Islamic Theological Anthropology

Critically examines Darwinian theory in light of theological anthropology. Analyzes classical and contemporary Muslim responses, and formulates a coherent theological vision of human origins, purpose, and divine intentionality.

  • Understanding the Theory of Evolution

  • Muslim Responses to Evolution

  • Scriptural Texts on Creation: Kalamic Analysis

  • Concordance vs. Discordance in Theological Concepts

  • Divine Purpose and Kalamic Challenges to Naturalism

  • Developing a Theologically Coherent View on Evolution

Module V
Reviving the Theistic Proofs: Arguments for God’s Existence

Deepens engagement with classical rational proofs for God’s existence and adapts them for modern audiences. Integrates scriptural affirmation, intuitive certainty, and phenomenological dimensions of faith.

  • Cosmological, Teleological, and Ontological Proofs

  • Responses to Modern Atheistic Arguments

  • Faith, Reason, and Intuition

  • Religious Experience and Theological Significance

Module VI
The Ghayb: Affirming the Unseen through Rational Theology

Addresses metaphysical realities through the lens of theology and reason. Reinforces belief in the unseen as rationally coherent and existentially necessary for a complete worldview.

  • Reality of Angels, Jinn, and the Soul

  • Rational Coherence of the Afterlife

  • Miracles and Divine Action in Natural Law

Module VII
Secularism, Liberalism, and Postmodernity through a Theological Lens

Engages in a critical theological deconstruction of dominant modern ideologies. Evaluates their philosophical premises, cultural impact, and compatibility or tension with Islamic metaphysics.

  • Deconstructing Secularism and Its Impact

  • Engaging Critically with Liberal Values

  • Understanding Postmodernism and the Challenge to Truth

Module VIII
Relativism and the Quest for Yaqīn (Certainty)

Unpacks the epistemological collapse in relativistic thought and reasserts Islam’s claim to universal, objective, and revealed truth. Explores yaqīn as a spiritual, rational, and existential state.

  • Forms of Relativism and Their Philosophical Roots

  • Cultural Impact of Relativistic Thought

  • Islamic Foundations of Objective Truth

  • Kalamic Responses to Relativism

  • Yaqīn in the Face of Doubt and Uncertainty

Module IX
Religious Pluralism and Islamic Exclusivism

Analyzes the theological tensions around pluralism, inclusivism, and exclusivism. Grounds the Islamic position on truth claims and salvation with clarity, nuance, and fidelity to revelation.

  • Contextualizing Religious Pluralism Today

  • Philosophical Models: Exclusivism, Inclusivism, Pluralism

  • Islamic View of Other Religions: Textual Foundations

  • Finality of Prophethood and Divine Message

  • Aqidah-Based Principles for Interfaith Dialogue

  • Theological Critique of Syncretism

Module X
Contemporary Frontiers: AI, Bioethics, and the Limits of Human Agency

 Investigates theological boundaries in emerging domains of human enhancement, machine intelligence, and bioengineering. Frames discussions within Islamic metaphysics and divine sovereignty.

  • Islamic Bioethics in the Modern Age

  • AI and the Nature of Human Distinction

  • Limits of Creation: Divine vs. Human Agency

Module XI
Extremism and Theological Deviance

Provides a principled Sunni critique of ideological extremism, its deviant theological underpinnings, and the misuse of religious texts. Reinforces the role of ijmāʿ, moderation, and scholarly consensus in preserving sound creed.

  • Deviant Theological Roots of Extremism

  • Mainstream Critiques from the Kalam Tradition

  • Role of Context and Scholarly Consensus in Aqidah

What Students Will Gain

By the end of The Rational Creed, students will:

  • Master the foundational principles of Sunni ʿAqīdah as articulated by the classical schools of Kalām (Ashʿarī and Māturīdī).

  • Understand how revelation and reason harmonize in constructing and defending Islamic theology.

  • Respond insightfully to intellectual and ideological currents such as materialism, liberalism, postmodernism, and relativism.

  • Develop confidence in articulating Islamic beliefs in both academic and public discourse.

  • Strengthen spiritual conviction by grounding belief in both scripture and rational clarity.