Intellect in the Qur‟an and Islamic Civilization

Intellect in the Qur‟an and Islamic Civilization

The second short-term course on “Islam and Contemporary Issues”, with a focus on ―Intellect in the Qur‟an and Islamic Civilization” has aimed to assess the relation between Qur‟anic notion of intellect and its pertinence to the concept of “Aql ” that has appeared in the Islamic traditional knowledge both in transmitted and intellectual forms. In this Short-term course Islam‘s approach towards rationality, its principles, features, and outcomes will be tackled at the analytical section of the course through a comparative study between the Qur‘anic notion of „aql with a focus on Islamic sciences, and modern rationalism. On a deeper level, the course will address the following questions: Could Islamic Intellect answer the questions and challenges of the contemporary world and the contemporary man? If the answer is yes, how can this take place? The course will also tackle fundamental issues such as challenges and predicaments ahead of the contemporary man.