WHY TAKE THIS COURSE?

Are you or someone you know doubting Islam?
Do you find yourself struggling to find answers?
Do you have a hard time speaking to someone about Islam?
Are you considering Islam but are unsure about certain concepts?

WHO IS THIS COURSE FOR ?

STUDENTS / WORKING PROFESSIONALS

Students & Working Professionals trying to reconcile an Islamic Identity with the vicissitudes of college or professional life.

LEADERS

Community leaders, Imāms or Activists who deal with people who suffer from doubts and are interested in learning how to better articulate the foundations of Islam in a modern context.

PARENTS

Parents who are trying to understand their children’s environment and the social and mental pressures therein that may cause doubts about Islam.

EX-MUSLIMS

People that have left Islam because of intellectual, spiritual or emotive doubts.

NON-MUSLIMS

Non-Muslims thinking about embracing Islam but have some questions or doubts about Islam.

DŪ'AT

preachers, activists, students of knowledge or duāt engaged in the work of sharing Islam (da’wah)

COURSE STRUCTURE

What will be taught?

Friday Evening

THE METAPHYSICAL BACKDROP

- Introduction to the Course
- What is a Worldview?
- Components of a Worldview
- The Islamic vs. The Modern Worldview
- “Original Normative Disposition”
- The Fītrah & Rationality
- The Nature of the Heart
- The Heart’s Main Fitan
- Today’s Crisis and Challenges
- The Source of Doubts

Saturday Morning

10 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DOUBTS (1-4)

Strategy #1: Be Aware
Strategy #2: No Attention
Strategy #3: Make The Distinction
Strategy #4: Your Environment:
- - Spiritual Health Of The Heart
  - Social conformity
  - What do the Qur’an & Sunnah say?
  - How do we help others?

Saturday Afternoon

10 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DOUBTS (5 – 6)

Strategy #5: Study Islam:
- Etymology of the Term “Shubuhat”
- Light as a Parable
- Studying Islam vs. Studying…
- The Spiritual Prerequisite
- Case Study: Women’s Inheritance
- Case Study: Age of Consent
Strategy #6: Critical Thinking:
- Critical Thinking Defined
- Logical Fallacies
- Quranic Encouragement to Think Critically
- Awakening the Truth Within
- Philosophical Doubts
- Scientific Doubts
- Moral / Ethical Doubts

Saturday Evening

10 STRATEGIES FOR DEALING WITH DOUBTS (7 – 10)

- Strategy #7: Find a Specialist
- Strategy #8: Dealing with Trauma:
  - Trauma Defined
  - Suffering & Meaning
  - Alternate Meanings to Suffering
  - Another Glance at Worldviews
- Strategy #9: Focus on the Heart:
  - The Connection between Doubts & Spirituality
  - Spiritual Diseases
  - Means to Purify the Heart
- Strategy #10: Dua

COURSE INSTRUCTORS

FAHAD TASLEEM

Instructor – USA

Fahad Tasleem holds a BA in Economics, Graduate Studies in Middle Eastern Studies with a focus on Islamic Theology and an MSc in Business. He is a student, researcher and teacher of various Islamic sciences.

HAMZA TZORTZIS

Instructor – UK

Hamza Andreas Tzortzis is the author of ‘The Divine Reality: God, Islam and The Mirage of Atheism’. He has an MRes (pending), MA and a PgCert in philosophy from the University of London.