Understanding

Ibn Taymiyya

with Dr. Carl Sharif El-Tobgui

Master the thought of a crucial Islamic thinker and theologian of immense contemporary significance

This 13-week course explores the thought and methodology of Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328), a towering figure of the early post-classical period of Islamic thought and a major influence on many modern and contemporary Muslim thinkers and movements. We approach Ibn Taymiyya through his 10-volume magnum opus, Darʾ taʿāruḍ al-ʿaql wa-l-naql (Refutation of the contradiction of reason and revelation), a major work which takes up a central problematic that recurs in every age under one guise or another: namely, the relationship between human reason and divine revelation. The course explores the major themes of Darʾ al-taʿāruḍ through systematically reading and analysing Dr. Sharif El-Tobgui’s Ibn Taymiyya on Reason and Revelation: A Study of Darʾ taʿāruḍ al-ʿaql wa-l-naql (Brill Open Access, 2020).

Study with one of the world’s top Ibn Taymiyya experts …

While Ibn Taymiyya challenged certain assumptions of the Greek-inflected paradigm of his day, we will study the Darʾ taʿāruḍ with an eye to contemporary application to questions Muslims face on the multifaceted intersections of Islam and modernity. After taking this course, students will have a solid command of the main features of Ibn Taymiyya’s thought and approach, as well as a useful general framework for dealing with contemporary challenges.

 

Carl Sharif El-Tobgui is Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies, and Director of the Arabic Language Program at Brandeis University. He has published Ibn Taymiyya on Reason and Revelation: A Study of Darʾ taʿāruḍ al-ʿaql wa-l-naql (Brill, 2020) and translated Ibn Taymiyya and the Attributes of God by Farid Suleiman (Brill, 2024; German orig., De Gruyter, 2019).

Weekly Topics

 

Week 1: Reason and Revelation in Islam before Ibn Taymiyya (1)

Week 2: Reason and Revelation in Islam before Ibn Taymiyya (2)

Week 3: Ibn Taymiyya’s Life, Times, and Intellectual Profile

Week 4: Ibn Taymiyya’s Understanding of the Reason–Revelation Conflict and of Previous Attempts to Solve It

Week 5: Ibn Taymiyya’s Critique of the “Universal Rule” (1)

Week 6: Ibn Taymiyya’s Critique of the “Universal Rule” (2)

Week 7: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Manqūl, or What Is Revelation? (1)

Week 8: Ṣaḥīḥ al-Manqūl, or What Is Revelation? (2)

Week 9: Ṣarīḥ al-Maʿqūl, or What Is Reason? (1)

Week 10: Ṣarīḥ al-Maʿqūl, or What Is Reason? (2)

Week 11: The Divine Attributes and the Question of Contradiction between Reason and Revelation

Week 12: Review of Major Themes of the Darʾ taʿāruḍ

Week 13: An Eye to Contemporary Applications

Graduates from BT Academy emerge with a sense of genuine empowerment, enabling them to contribute to their environment in a manner that is confident, compassionate, and informed —rather than reactive — and rooted in a profound and detailed understanding of both the Western and Islamic intellectual and religious traditions.

  • Start Date

    Saturday September 27th 2025

    Duration

    13 weeks

  • There are no formal entry requirements. While a background in theology or philosophy may be helpful, the primary requirement is a genuine interest in theological inquiry.

  • The course fee is £1300.00 / $1750.00 for the full 13-week program.

    Students who complete payment by Wednesday, September 10th, 2025, will receive a 20% early payment reduction.

    Flexible payment plans are also available, subject to approval.

  • Application Process: Online application form. Application Deadline: Friday 19th September, 2025

    We endeavour to inform students of our decision within 5 working days, although this is not a guarantee.

    Due to high demand, we recommend that you submit your application as early as possible.