• Study a classical articulation of fundamental Sunni beliefs and theology, including:
• Divine Attributes
• Creation vs. the Creator: looking at one to understand the other
• Is God really "above" the Throne?
• What is a prophet?
• Prophethood of Muhammad (peace be upon him)
• Khilafat (Caliphate)
• Believing with/without proofs: is it valid?
• Utterances that constitute disbelief
• Intercession
• Events of the Day of Judgment
• Gain a sound understanding of the beliefs that define a Muslim
• Have the opportunity to ask questions on issues of belief and theology to resolve any doubts or misunderstandings
• Get exposure to a classical text (Bad’ l’Amālī, 6th century nadhm by Sirajuddin Ali Ushi) on Sunni Muslim beliefs, one of the first texts read by students in many traditional curricula, along with its commentary
• Walk away with greater certitude and knowledge of Allah Most High
• Gain encouragement to seek sacred knowledge more seriously

“Know that there is no god except Allah.” Thus our Lord commands us to have a sound knowledge of who He is. When speaking of the statement by God “I created the jinn and humankind to worship Me,” the exegete of the Ummah, Abdullah ibn Abbas, said that ‘to worship Me’ means ‘to know Me.' The fundamental truth, or asl of Islam, is this proper knowledge of God. Thus Usul l’Din—‘Foundations of the Religion’—or more commonly known as aqida, is the quintessential foundation a Muslim must know and comprehend.

Beliefs define us. One either believes as one lives, or lives as one believes. We seek the latter as Muslims, knowing that sound beliefs and convictions in God, His Messengers, angels, and revealed scriptures are the building blocks upon which a stable and enduring life rests.

Muslim scholars from the time of the earliest generations (the Salaf) have written a range of works, from mere short epistles to voluminous tomes, to facilitate and operationalize the above various works. Oftentimes these works were set to verse—poetic style writings known as nadhm—that facilitated ease in memorization and study. Bad’l ‘Amali is one such work.

Written in the 6th century of the Hijra by Sirrajuddin Ali Ushi (575/1180) from Fergana in Turkistan, this 67‐verse nadhm is an articulation of fundamental Sunni beliefs that has been memorized by students of Sacred Knowledge and commented on by scholars for centuries.

Risala Foundation will be introducing this celebrated work in English as an introductory text to what will be a series of courses on Muslim beliefs and theology.