Self-Knowledge: Towards a Qur’anic Anthropology

In this unique Ramadan course, Self-Knowledge: Towards a Qur’anic Anthropology, Hamza Yusuf examines Imam al-Raghib al-Asfahani’s Tafsil al-nash’atayn wa tahsil al-sa‘adatayn (An exposition of the two creations with means to the acquisition of the two felicities). Through the lens of the Qur’an, Imam al-Raghib, an eleventh-century polymathic exegete, presents a masterful study of the human being. Unlike any other work in the Islamic tradition, this short book leads a serious student into a completely Qur’anic perspective on what it means to be human, but more importantly, it explicates the means to achieve our God-given potential to realize true humanity (insaniyyah) in this life. In a time when postmodernist and nihilistic ideas of the self confound many, Imam al-Raghib provides a much-needed antidote by grounding us in true Qur’anic knowledge of the self, which results in knowledge of the universe, and in the meeting place of those two knowledges, one arrives at certainty of the Creator of one’s self and one’s world.

Ramadan Book Club Sessions

This month's live sessions take place on Sunday, April 2nd and Sunday, April 16th at 3 pm PDT via YouTube and the Book Club dashboard.

Journey through the Qur'an via the masterful translation of the late Dr. Thomas Cleary in these Ramadan sessions of the First Command Book Club. Tune in via the Book Club dashboard. Not a member? Join us via Zaytuna College's YouTube channel for a look inside the Book Club.

About the First Command Book Club

The first revealed verse and God’s first command to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was to read: “Read! In the name of your Lord....” The Prophet ﷺ built the first Muslim community with circles of knowledge, where God’s sacred text was studied and memorized. His commitment to literacy was further exemplified when he freed prisoners who taught ten Muslims to read. This legacy of learning continued for centuries, as eager Muslims risked their lives on arduous journeys to sit with notable scholars from around the world. The Islamic civilization established some of the most elaborate and prolific libraries, with several still preserved to this day. The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ  is reported to have said, “Wisdom is the lost property of the believer. Wherever he finds it, he is most deserving of it.” In realizing God’s first command and the unrelenting pursuit of knowledge, Muslim scholars studied texts from many traditions, including the Greco-Roman. Today, this precedent is more important than ever. Reviving a holistic intellectual literacy allows the community to engage in civil discourse, cultivate virtue, and promote empathy. To that end, the First Command Book Club has carefully selected books that, God willing, will stimulate the mind and soften the heart, bringing us closer to realizing the universal truths established by our Creator. 

The First Command Book Club is a member benefit for the 12000 Strong community.

Zaytuna College Bookstore

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