AL-RAZI'S PROOFS FOR GOD’S EXISTENCE
About this Event
[PLEASE NOTE - The course is BOTH in person ONSITE in London and for those who can not attend in person can purchase the LIVE ONLINE STREAMING ticket to watch it from their device and those coming in person, should you not decide to attend person on the day or half the day, you will still recieve a link to the live online streaming, irrespective but are encouraged to attend in person if you have registered for that ticket, as this helps with allows room allocation, respectively for fellow participants].
EARLY BIRD SPECIAL OFFER BOOKING DEADLINE ENDs FRIDAY 2nd OCTOBER 2026 after which spaces become limited and prices increase - REGISTER ONLINE and you will receive final instructions.
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Islamic Courses present:
AL-RAZI'S PROOFS FOR GOD’S EXISTENCE [TAKEN FROM THE MAʿĀLIM UṢŪL AL-DĪN]
With
Dr Shoaib Ahmed Malik [Lecturer in Science and Religion, Edinburgh University, UK]
Date: Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd November 2026
Time: 9am - 6pm on Saturday and 9am - 3pm on Sunday
Venue: Ebrahim College, 399-401 High Street, Stratford, London E15 4QZ
Al-Rāzī’s Proofs for God’s Existence is a two-day intensive exploring how one of the Islamic intellectual tradition’s most sophisticated theologians argued for the existence of God.
Imam Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s stands at a particularly significant point in the history of Islamic thought. He inherited the classical Ashʿarī kalām tradition while also engaging deeply with the philosophical system of Ibn Sīnā. His writings therefore provide a remarkable window into a period in which the categories and arguments of theology and philosophy were increasingly brought into direct conversation.
Across seven structured lessons, the course will introduce the intellectual background needed to understand Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s arguments before examining the proofs themselves. We will begin with the development of Ashʿarī theology and its distinctive ontology, before turning to the alternative philosophical framework associated with Ibn Sīnā. This provides the foundation for understanding questions surrounding causation, circularity, infinite regress, necessity, possibility, and contingency.
The second half of the course focuses directly on the major arguments for God’s existence, including the contingency argument, the kalām cosmological argument, and arguments from specification and design. Particular attention will be given to how the arguments are constructed, what each one is intended to establish, and how al-Rāzī draws upon and reshapes both kalām and philosophical traditions.
The aim is to move beyond simply memorising proofs. Participants will learn how the arguments work from the inside and why the conceptual assumptions behind them matter.
The seven lessons cover: History of Ashʿarī Theology; Ashʿarī Ontology; Avicennian Ontology; Circular Causation and Infinite Regress; The Contingency Argument; The Kalām Cosmological Argument; Specification and Design Arguments
Participants will receive the relevant Arabic primary text, an English translation, and dedicated student handouts summarising all seven lessons.
The principal text for the weekend will be Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī’s Maʿālim uṣūl al-dīn, one of his important works of systematic theology.
Al-Rāzī stands at a particularly significant point in the history of Islamic thought. He inherited the classical Ashʿarī kalām tradition while also engaging deeply with the philosophical system of Ibn Sīnā. His writings therefore provide a remarkable window into a period in which the categories and arguments of theology and philosophy were increasingly brought into direct conversation.
The section studied during this course presents a range of arguments concerning the existence of God and allows us to see al-Rāzī reasoning through questions of contingency, causality, cosmology, and the specification of the world.
Students will work directly with the relevant Arabic passages rather than encountering al-Rāzī only through secondary summaries. A translation will also be provided, so knowledge of Arabic is helpful but not required to benefit from the course.
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About the course presenter: *Dr Shoaib Ahmed Malik[Lecturer in Science and Religion, Edinburgh University ], where his is teaching and researching focuses on Islamic theology, philosophy, and questions at the intersection of religion and the sciences. He holds doctorates in both Chemical Engineering and Theology and Religious Studies, and his work brings together sustained engagement with the classical Islamic intellectual tradition and contemporary philosophical and scientific questions. He is the author of Islam and Evolution: Al-Ghazālī and the Modern Evolutionary Paradigm (Routledge), which received the International Society for Science and Religion’s Best Academic Book Award, and editor of Islamic Theology and Extraterrestrial Life (Bloomsbury). His current research includes extensive work on Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Ashʿarī theology, natural theology, theological anthropology, and Islam and science. His teaching aims to make sophisticated classical arguments accessible without sacrificing their philosophical depth, with particular emphasis on reading theological texts carefully and reconstructing the reasoning that lies behind them.
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AUDIENCE: Open to ALL and any one interested in classical Islamic intellectual tradition and contemporary philosophical and scientific questions. No prerequisites and taught in English.
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All welcome, limited spaces, pre-registration required!
DEADLINE FOR BOOKINGS APPLY after which prices increase
For more information call/tel: 07956735301 or email: [email protected]
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* Please note, time and resources have been set aside to ensure the programme runs in a smooth and professional manner for the maximum benefit of participants and thus unless the programme has been postponed or cancelled, there are NO REFUNDS as part of the terms and condition policy.
*Lunch and refreshments can be purchased at cafe's or restaurant's near to the venue and NOT included in ticket price.
*The course is BOTH in person ONSITE in London and for those who can not attend in person can purchase the LIVE ONLINE STREAMING ticket to watch it from their device and those coming in person, should decide not to attend person on the day or half the day, you will still recieve a link to the live online streaming, irrespective but are encouraged to attend in person if you have registered for that ticket, as this helps with allows room allocation, respectively for fellow participants
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Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 54.88 to GBP 76.55
