The Epistles: Studies in Islamic Spirituality
Description
An Ongoing Text-Based Course
Studies in Islamic Spirituality offers a guided study of selected epistles devoted to central themes in Islamic spirituality, metaphysics, theology, and the inner life. Each epistle addresses a distinct subject while contributing to a broader and integrated vision of the human being, the cosmos, and the path to God.
The course begins with foundational epistles on the divine secret, the intermediate world (barzakh), and spiritual solitude, before proceeding to themes such as divine unity, the soul, cosmology, prophecy, love, spiritual rank, death, resurrection, and the stages of inner realization. Through close reading and guided commentary, students will explore the conceptual relationships that bring these diverse subjects into a coherent intellectual and spiritual framework.
Particular attention is given to linguistic precision, careful textual analysis, and the clarification of key Arabic terminology. The course is intended for students seeking sustained engagement with Islamic spiritual thought through the close study of primary texts.
Because the course unfolds sequentially through the epistles, students may join at any point and continue through the collection over time.
Overview
1. The Epistle on the Secret
Text: Risālat al-Sirr
2. The Liminal Place (Barzakh)
Text: Risālat al-Barzakh
3. The Epistle on the Solitary
Text: Risālat al-Fard
4. Commentary on the Epistle of Divine Unity
Text: Sharḥ Risālat al-Tawḥīd
5. The Epistle on the Sovereign Soul
Text: Risālat al-Nafs al-Mālika
6. The Secret of the Cosmos and the Language of Becoming
Text: Sirr al-Kawn wa-Lughat al-Takwīn
7. The Spiritual Stations of the Prophets
Text: Maqāmāt al-Anbiyāʾ
8. Love and Loving-Devotion
Text: al-Ḥubb wa-al-Maḥabba
9. On the Return (Eschatology) and the Creation of Spirits
Text: fī al-Maʿād wa-Khalq al-Arwāḥ
10. The Epistle of Spiritual Rank
Text: Risālat al-Manzila
11. The Epistle on Death
Text: Risālat al-Mawt
12. The Epistle on Devotional Allegiance and Disassociation
Text: Risālat al-Tawallī wa-al-Tabarrī
13. The Epistle on the Smile
Text: Risālat al-Tabassum
14. The Epistle on Walking
Text: Risālat al-Mashy
15. The Epistle on ʿUrs
Text: Risālat al-ʿUrs
Texts
Primary texts: Selected epistles of Dr. Akram Almajid. Texts and translations will be provided to students through the course website as they are assigned.
Prerequisites
No prior background in Islamic spirituality, philosophy, or Arabic is required. The course is designed to introduce students gradually to the language, concepts, and practices of the Islamic spiritual tradition through close study of selected texts.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the course, students will be able to:
Identify key concepts and principles of Islamic spirituality and spiritual wayfaring (sulūk)
Engage closely with selected epistles of Dr. Akram Almajid
Understand the relationship between self-knowledge, spiritual discipline, and the purification of the soul
Recognize the Qurʾānic, philosophical, and metaphysical foundations underlying the texts
Develop greater familiarity with the technical vocabulary of the Islamic spiritual tradition
Read spiritual texts with greater conceptual clarity and attention to their practical implications
Readings
Assigned readings are drawn primarily from the selected epistles and should be completed prior to each class session. Readings are chosen to support close textual study, comprehension, and guided discussion rather than technical specialization.
Class Structure
Each class includes approximately fifty minutes of structured lecture followed by ten minutes for discussion and questions. The lectures build progressively, with each session developing the conceptual and spiritual themes introduced in the assigned texts.
Q&A Protocol
Students may submit questions during class through Zoom’s chat function or “raise hand” feature. Questions may be addressed during the lecture when appropriate or reserved for the discussion portion of the session.
Course Details
Instructor: Professor Mukhtar Ali
Dates: Starting September 4, 2026
Day: Fridays
Time: 2-3 pm
US- Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Location: Online
Tuition: Included in Membership: $100
How to Register
To enroll, click the Register button below and complete the online checkout process. Once registration is confirmed, you will receive a confirmation email with access details and course information.