The Perceptions of God in the Intellectual History of Islam: A Plurality of Perspectives

Join the Academy for Islam in Research and Society (AIWG) on June 11, 2024, at 4:00 PM for a live talk on the plurality of God’s perception in Islamic intellectual history of Islam. At the heart of the discussion is the volume “The Attributes of God in Islamic Thought. Contemplating Allah”, edited by AIWG’s former research-fellow, Dr Mansooreh Khalilizand (University of Freiburg). With Dr Khalilizand the following authors of the volume will take part at the talk: Prof Dr Mohammad Gharaibeh (HU-Berlin), Dr Angelika Brodersen (University Bochum) and Prof Dr Sajjad Rizvi (University of Exeter).

The debate over Allah’s attribute—the “nature” and the inner articulation of Allah—is one of the focal debates in the intellectual history of Islam. The planed event, based on the edited collection The Attributes of God in Islamic Thought. Contemplating Allah (Mansooreh Khalilizand (ed.), 2024), aims to introduce some aspects of this multifaceted debate. By showing that even an apparently self-evident concept such as Allah, which lies at the heart of every reading of Islam, is highly contentious and polysemous, the rich plurality that has always existed in Islamic thought, is to be emphasized and exposed. The extensive array of approaches and perspectives in conceptualizing Allah, the cornerstone of Islam, signifies the profound richness embedded within the tradition. This not only underscores the tradition’s potential for innovative interpretations in response to modern challenges and questions, but also emphasizes the freedom individuals possess in comprehending and shaping the religion.

By revealing the inherent complexity and ambiguity surrounding the concept of Allah, the event seeks, on one hand, to create a space for reflection on a notion traditionally regarded as self-evident by the majority of Islamic faith followers. On the other hand, it aspires to engage the curiosity of students and scholars specializing in Islamic theology, philosophy, studies, and related disciplines, thereby directing their focus to a significant segment of Islam’s intellectual tradition.

Here is a glimpse into the program of the talk:

• Dr Mansooreh Khalilizand (University of Freiburg, former research fellow at the AIWG), the editor of the collected volume, will provide a general overview of the project.
• Prof Dr Mohammad Gharaibeh (HU-Berlin), the author of the chapter titled “Constructing the True Islam: The Wahhābī Scholar Ibn ʿUthaymīn (d. 2001) on the Divine Attributes and the Path of the Pious Ancestors (Salaf),” will offer insights into his chapter and discuss the Wahhabi thinker Ibn ʿUthaymīn’s understanding of the Divine Attributes.
• Dr Angelika Brodersen (University Bochum), the author of two chapters in the book, “Does the Attribute ‚Baqāʾ‘ Exist?: Sunni Theologians on God’s Persistence” and “Nūr al-Dīn al-Ṣābūnī and the Divine Attributes: Māturīdī Kalām in a Nutshell,” will introduce the Māturīdī concept of Allah.
• As the final speaker, Prof Dr Sajjad Rizvi (University of Exeter), the author of the chapter “Divine Simplicity, the Deus Revelatus, and the Divine Names in the Philosophical Theology of Mullā Ṣadrā Shīrāzī (1571–1636),” will highlight certain aspects of Shia discourse on the attributes of God.

 

The event seeks to engage students and scholars of Islamic theology, Islamic philosophy, Islamic studies and related disciplines, drawing their attention to a substantial segment of Islam’s intellectual tradition.

The event will be chaired by Muhammed Ragab Ahmed (AIWG).

The event is hosted by the AIWG. It will be streamed live on the AIWG YouTube channel. The event is accessible via the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBkdoZEFfMs

The event starts on June 11, 2024, at 4 PM.  You can ask questions to the guests using the chat function on YouTube. Join the live discussion on YouTube.

The recording will be available on YouTube channel following the event.

You can preview the edited volume here: https://www.routledge.com/The-Attributes-of-God-in-Islamic-Thought-Contemplating-Allah/Khalilizand/p/book/9781032571577

Here you can download the flyer for the book talk.