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The Classics of Islam

Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah: Advanced Arabic Seminar on the Wisdom and Philosophy of the Sharīʿah


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Omar Qureshi
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For someone else
Purchase for $120

Study one of the greatest works ever written on the wisdom and objectives of Islam. In this advanced Arabic seminar, students will read Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī’s Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah, exploring the relationship between revelation, law, ethics, spirituality, and civilization while strengthening their ability to engage classical Arabic texts.

Instructor: Dr. Shaykh Omar Qureshi
Date: July 6 - August 31, 2026
 
Schedule: Mondays, 6:00–7:30 PM (Pacific Time)
Course Duration: 9 Sessions
Location: Online Via Zoom
 
Course Format:  Advanced Arabic Reading Seminar
Primary Text:
 
Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī (d. 1176 AH / 1762 CE)
Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah
Course Description
Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah is one of the most important works of Islamic intellectual history and among the most ambitious attempts to explain the wisdom, purposes, and underlying logic of the Sharīʿah. Written by the renowned Indian scholar Shāh Walī Allāh al-Dihlawī, the work seeks to uncover the relationship between revelation, human nature, society, ethics, and civilization.
 
This advanced seminar is devoted to a close reading of the text in Arabic. Students will explore Shāh Walī Allāh’s explanations of prophecy, revelation, law, spirituality, social organization, moral psychology, and the objectives of the Sharīʿah. Particular attention will be given to his effort to explain not only what Islam teaches, but why it teaches it.
Through guided reading and discussion, students will engage one of the most influential attempts in Islamic scholarship to articulate a comprehensive philosophy of religion grounded in the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the realities of human life.
 
Why Study Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah?
Few scholars attempted a synthesis as ambitious as Shāh Walī Allāh’s. His work stands at the intersection of law, theology, spirituality, ethics, sociology, and civilizational thought.
The book addresses questions such as:
  • Why were prophets sent?
  • What is the wisdom behind religious obligations?
  • How do religious laws cultivate individual and social well-being?
  • What causes civilizations to flourish or decline?
  • How does revelation correspond to human nature?
  • What is the relationship between spirituality, morality, and social order?
For this reason, Ḥujjat Allāh al-Bālighah remains one of the most important texts for understanding the deeper purposes and wisdom of Islam.
 
Learning Outcomes
By the end of the course, students will:
  • Read substantial portions of the text in Arabic.
  • Strengthen their ability to engage advanced classical Arabic prose.
  • Understand Shāh Walī Allāh’s intellectual project.
  • Analyze the wisdom and objectives underlying Islamic teachings.
  • Explore the relationship between revelation, society, and human flourishing.
  • Gain familiarity with one of the most influential works of Islamic thought.
Seminar Format
This course is structured as an interactive reading seminar rather than a lecture.
 
Students are expected to prepare assigned readings before class and come ready to engage the text. During each session, students will have opportunities to read passages aloud, translate, analyze vocabulary and grammar, and discuss the author’s arguments and conceptual framework.
 
Readings will be corrected and discussed in real time, helping students strengthen both their Arabic reading ability and their understanding of the Islamic intellectual tradition.
 
Major Themes
  • The nature and purpose of prophecy
  • Revelation and human nature
  • The wisdom of religious obligations
  • The objectives of the Sharīʿah
  • Moral psychology and character formation
  • Society, civilization, and social order
  • The causes of communal flourishing and decline
  • Spiritual purification and human perfection
  • The relationship between law and ethics
  • The philosophy of religion in Islam
Who Should Enroll?
This course is intended for:
  • Seminary students
  • Graduates of Islamic studies programs
  • Imams and community leaders
  • Advanced students of Islamic thought
  • Students interested in maqāṣid, ethics, philosophy, and civilizational studies
Prerequisites:

Ability to read classical Arabic.

Classes will involve reading the texts in Arabic, translating them, and discussing their meanings, arguments, and historical significance. Students with Arabic proficiency will benefit most from the readings.

Those without Arabic are also welcome to attend and participate in the discussions. While some portions of the course will be more accessible to readers of Arabic, the lectures and conversations will remain beneficial to all interested students.

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

Here is the class outline:

1. RESOURCES

2. Lesson #1

Jul 6 6pm .. 7:30pm

3. Lesson #2

Jul 13 6pm .. 7:30pm

4. Lesson #3

Jul 20 6pm .. 7:30pm

5. Lesson #4

Jul 27 6pm .. 7:30pm

6. Lesson #5

Aug 3 6pm .. 7:30pm

7. Lesson #6

Aug 10 6pm .. 7:30pm

8. Lesson #7

Aug 17 6pm .. 7:30pm

9. Lesson #8

Aug 24 6pm .. 7:30pm

10. Lesson #9

Aug 31 6pm .. 7:30pm
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