Course Title: Understanding God in Islam: The Doctrines, Schools, and Debates that Shaped Sunni Theology

Course Overview: Explore the intellectual heart of the Islamic tradition.

This course offers a deep and engaging journey through the history of Islamic theology—from its early debates on faith, reason, and revelation to the creative theological projects of the modern era. Students will encounter the great theological schools—Muʿtazilī rationalism, Ashʿarī and Māturīdī orthodoxy, and Ḥanbalī traditionalism—and the towering figures who shaped them, including al-Ghazālī, Ibn Taymiyya, and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī.

Along the way, you’ll examine how Muslim thinkers grappled with enduring questions of divine justice, human freedom, prophecy, causality, and suffering, drawing from both classical sources and modern perspectives. The course culminates in contemporary debates on theology’s relevance today—how theology continues to speak to science, philosophy, and the human condition.

Course Outcome: A historically grounded, critically engaged, and spiritually alive understanding of what it means to think theologically in Islam.

Who Should Enroll: Ideal for advanced students of Islamic studies, seminary learners, and lifelong seekers, GITS 503 bridges the classical and the contemporary—offering not only an understanding of theology’s past but a vision for its future.

Recommended Background:
 • Prior study in Islamic or Religious Studies (ʿĀlimiyyah program, university coursework, or sustained self-study with recognized scholars)
 • Relevant academic training in philosophy, political science, history, anthropology, or related fields
 • Ability to read and engage with advanced academic texts in English

Date: December 3, 2025 - February 11, 2026

Day: Every  Wednesday

Time: 5:00-7:00 PM

Location: IOK Diamond Bar (1009 Vía Sorella, Diamond Bar, CA 91789) in Room 104 Left Side-Musalla and ONLINE Via Zoom

Course Duration: 9 Sessions

Format: Weekly in-person or online lectures, interactive discussions with readings, and assignments.

Instructor: Shaykh Omar Qureshi, PhD in Religion, University of Southern California

Dr. Omar Qureshi was born and raised in Southern California and comes from a distinguished family of Subcontinent ulama from the city of Tonk, such as Haydar Hasan Khan, Mahmoud Hasan Khan, and Wali Hasan Khan. After earning his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Qureshi traveled to Damascus, Syria where he spent three years (2008-2011) building a foundation in Arabic and Islamic sciences at Abu Noor University. He then enrolled at Cairo’s al-Azhar University (2011-2016), graduating from the Shari'ah College and receiving licenses (ijazat) to teach various Islamic sciences from numerous scholars. He then pursued his doctorate at the University of Southern California’s School of Religion (2016-2025). Specializing in Islamic intellectual history, Western philosophy, politics, and social theory, his research focused on the evolution of the Hanafi legal tradition, highlighting its dynamism and methods of continuity. After completing the PhD, Shaykh Omar began working on a monograph centered on the works of the Hanafi mufti Muhammad Amin Ibn 'Abidin and the societal role of fatwas. He is a full-time seminary instructor Institute of Knowledge Seminary. In addition to his legal scholarship, Professor Qureshi is also engaged in Quranic studies, writing an exegesis of selected verses from the Meccan and Medinan periods of revelation.

Enroll now! Join us on this transformative journey into the heart of the Islamic intellectual tradition and its relevance for today.

Cost: $300

If you are auditing, the class will be $200. Please email rsohail@instituteofknowledge.com to pay for the course. Please note that you may attend lectures and participate in discussions. You will not receive any assignments, grading, or credential for this course. It is ideal for personal enrichment and flexible learning.

Please note that this course is NON-REFUNDABLE and will close 2 weeks after the course ends.