Course Title: Great Books of Islamic Theology - Reading the Classics of Sunni Thought

Course Overview:

Great Books of Islamic Theology is a guided reading of the classics of Sunni thought. Many students have heard al-Ghazālī or Ibn Taymiyyah cited for years without ever sitting with their books and reading them carefully. This course offers that opportunity. Moving chronologically, students read selections from the principal works of Abū Ḥanīfa, Aḥmad ibn Ḥanbal, al-Ashʿarī, al-Māturīdī, al-Ghazālī, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Ibn Taymiyyah, and al-Taftāzānī. Each session is devoted to one thinker's project as a whole. It opens with the historical setting and the debates the author inherited, then turns to the texts themselves, reading across several works so that students see how the parts of a theology fit together. Read in sequence, these authors show Sunni theology developing as a conversation across generations, with later scholars refining or contesting what earlier ones had argued. The course is an initiation into that tradition. Students leave knowing its major books and the debates that connect them, able to place a passage within an author's larger project and to keep reading the classical works on their own.

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 7, 2026 - February 15, 2027

Day: Every  Monday

Time: 5:00-6:30 PM

Location: IOK  CHESS Campus (3201 West Temple Avenue, Pomona, CA 91768) 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.