Introduction to Islamic Belief

• Arguably the most important of all courses
• Read one of the earliest statements of orthodox Muslim belief that has won the acceptance of Muslim orthodoxy since the time it was written
• Gain a firm conviction in all the tenets of faith
• Get an exposure to the beliefs of the main Muslim sects and groups, understanding where they went wrong and why
• Have an opportunity to have all your specific faith-related questions, confusions, and doubts resolved
• Find a fresh drive to learn your religion and draw closer to Allah Most High
• Lessons will address common questions people have about matters of belief, such as human responsibility and predestination; the meaning of "God"; literalism and the Attributes of God; miracles; and matters of the Afterlife.

• There are no required prerequisites, but Essentials of Islam is recommended for students new to a formal study of Islam.
• Finding the Straight Path is a recommended complementary course.
• Estimated Commitment Per Week: 3 hours for core requirements
• Learn how to make sure your computer is ready.

Lesson 1

• Biography of Imam al-Tahawi
• The Historical Context of Imam Tahawi’s Creed
• Course Goals
• Section 1: Imam Tahawi’s Introduction

Lesson 2

• Section 2: God
• Section 3: God’s Creative Act
  

Lesson 3

• Section 4: Divine Omnipotence
  

Lesson 4

• Section 5: The Prophet Muhammad (Allah bless him and give him peace)
• Section 6: The Quran
  

Lesson 5

• Section 7: Supernatural Events: The Beatific Vision, the Ascent to Heaven, the Pool, the Intercession, and the Primordial Covenant
  

Lesson 6

• Section 8: Divine Determination (1): Divine Omniscience, Accepting Divine Decree, the Tablet and the Pen, and Destiny
  

Lesson 7

• Section 9: The Throne and the Stool
• Section 10: Angels and Prophets
  

Lesson 8

• Section 11: Belief: Judging Simply, Belief and Action, and the Nature of Belief
• Section 12: Major Sins
  

Lesson 9

• Section 13: Government
• Section 14: The Next Life
  

Lesson 10

• Section 15: Human Responsibility
• Section 16: Divine Determination (2)
  

Lesson 11

• Section 17: The Companions
• Section 18: The Righteous
  

Lesson 12

• Section 19: The Unseen
• Section 20: Summary

The discipline of Islamic belief has many names in Arabic. One of these names is usul al-din, which means, "the foundation of religion." This, in reality, is what Islamic belief is: the foundation of a Muslim’s religion. If his belief is in trouble, then all other aspects of his religion are also in trouble, just as when a building’s foundations are shaky, the entire structure is shaky. This is why the root cause for the lack of religious dedication and drive that many Muslims find within themselves is that they haven’t established their foundations of Islamic belief properly. This course, therefore, is arguably the most important course that you will ever take.

Our belief is the context of our lives—it is what gives our lives meaning. Through it, we understand where we came from, what we are doing here, and where we are going. By understanding both the key tenets of our faith and why we believe them, you will be able to give your life meaning and purpose. And by being able to have all your belief-related doubts, questions, and confusions answered, you will leave with a firm conviction in all the tenets of faith, and will find a fresh drive to learn your religion and draw closer to Allah Most High.

Introduction to Islamic Belief gives you exposure to the main topics of orthodox Islamic belief through a formal study of an authoritative classical manual of Islamic belief. It will also give you an exposure to the beliefs of the main Muslim sects and groups, understanding where they went wrong and why. Finally, you will have an opportunity to have all your specific faith-related questions, confusions, and doubts resolved.

The content of this course is based on the 'Aqida Tahawiyya, one of the earliest statements of orthodox Muslim belief that has won the acceptance of Muslim orthodoxy from the time it was written all the way down to our times. Although relatively small in size, it is an indispensable work with tremendous benefit, listing what a Muslim must comprehend and believe in.

The author of this work, Imam Tahawi, lived from 239-321 AH and studied with leading scholars of his time. He lived in the golden age of hadith transmission, compilation, and codification, and was himself an expert scholar of hadith and a peer of the famous six imams of hadith. Imam Tahawi was also a great scholar of the Hanafi school of law. The work he is most well known for, however, is his classic manual on Islamic beliefs. A student of the pious predecessors or salaf (and even considered by many to be one of the salaf himself), his work represents a direct transmission of the aqida of the early Muslims.

This course is for every Muslim who wants to formally learn what they believe in; Muslims who lack religious motivation and drive; and Muslims who have doubts regarding their religious faith. It is a key component of the Foundations curriculum, and the first of a series of three belief courses to be offered by SunniPath.

• Weekly live sessions and pre-recorded lessons will be taught by Shaykh Hamza.
• Printable course slides will add structure to lessons.
• The translation of the Creed of Imam Haddad will be provided in e-format.
• Shaykh Hamza Yusuf’s book The Creed of Imam Tahawi is a useful supplement to the course.
• Weekly self-study quizzes and a final exam will strengthen and test your knowledge.
• All live sessions will be recorded, so that you can hear lessons that you may miss or review key concepts.
• You can post questions and engage in discussion in the course forum.
• Shaykh Hamza will hold weekly office hours.

• "This course is difficult but I would highly recommend it to anyone who has to interact with either Non-Muslims or Muslims from various sects as it helps understand and clear doubts on some fundamental aspects of faith and belief...Sheikh Hamza is very knowledgeable and manages to explain simply and clearly very difficult concepts. I especially appreciated the way that Sheikh Hamza constantly put the Aqida Tahawiyya in its historical context and the limits of theology and how to integrate theology in our practice of Islam."
  Wasem Gawish
  Intern, Tulsa, USA
• “I would recommend this course because it gives you a good handle on many confusing topics are, unfortunately, too commonly discussed.”
  Rayad Khan
  Systems Administrator, Queens, USA
• “I would recommend this course to those wishing to study aqeedah. Anyone who wishes to be involved in dawah work should take this class.”
  Hallie Pape
  Housewife, Canton, MI
• “This course provided a veritable gold mine of information and clarifications about issues regarding belief and the history of the development of the science of aqidah and was a wonderfully taught expose of the beliefs of ahl us sunnah wal jama'ah and why we believe what we do.”
  Simon Dewar
  IT Professional, Canberra, Australia
• “I would because it gave me a totally different perspective to learning aqida from before. It increased my certainty and iman, along with my awe and reverence for Allah Most High. Before, I would say I 'knew' my aqida; this course helped me understand and internalise it. JazahuAllahu khairan to Shaikh Hamza for teaching it so well, mashaAllah.”
  Uzma Jung
  Housewife, Redbridge, UK
• “I would recommend this particular course to others because it covers some questions that many people ask to Muslims that can be very challenging to answer if you don't have the right knowledge. It also helps us understand which questions are beneficial to ask and which ones are not as necessary.”
  Shannen Espelien
  Burnsville, USA
• "Great teacher, lots to learn...I would recommend the course to anyone who wants firmer grasp on our belief."
  Ahmed Abbasi
  Student, Atlanta, USA
• "I would recommend this course because Shaykh Hamza is a very humble teacher who demonstrates much passion for the subject and makes very difficult material as easy to understand as is possible with such a difficult subject."
  Nagina Razaq
  Full-Time Employee, Slough, England
• "I would recommend this course to others because it will help you become organized with you learning the deen as this is the basic foundation. Starting off with this course is very beneficial because it will help clear any doubts you have and help you to continue your learning to other courses. Shaykh Hamza explained the usually difficult to grasp points thoroughly and used good examples also.
  Yassar Khan
  Student, New York City, USA
• "Sheik Hamza provided the student with amazing knowledge and understanding about Islamic belief. Though this knowledge is the basics of Islam but every Muslim or convert struggling to find their iman needs to take this course as it removes much of ones doubts and most importantly it teaches one—though it's online—the adab and importance of a sheik, as taught in Islam."
  Sana Khalid
  Student, Scarborough, Canada
• "I would recommend this particular course to others because it clarifies so many questions we have on basic Islamic beliefs in a surprisingly simple and articulate way."
  Zeynep Sevinc
  Teacher, Brisbane, Australia
• "I enjoyed the course as it explained basic foundations of Islam and subjects I was unaware of."
  Surena Bte Ngagan Salby
  Registered Nurse, Perth, Australia
• "This class has given me not only a compass by which to understand my religion, but a sound rationale for why my compass is correct. It has allowed me to overcome many obstacles pounded into my mind by popular university studies (if God is all powerful, can he do X sort of malarkey). But, most importantly of all, ALL Sunnipath classes, especially yours, have given me the opportunity to put a proper ORDER in what I'm learning. No longer am I busying myself with complicated matters of fiqh before I could even make a Sunnah prayer."
  Matthew Longacre
  Student, Lexington, USA
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