Ghazālī and Rāzī on Miracles and the Occult by Dr Muhammad Fariduddin Attar
In this episode, Dr Attar explores how two major theologians — al-Ghazālī and Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī — challenged the idea that miracles serve as proof of prophethood. Drawing on their engagement with the occult sciences, Dr Attar shows how both thinkers believed that extraordinary acts could be imitated by magicians and thaumaturges, raising new questions about what truly verifies a prophet. He concludes by proposing an Avicennian reinterpretation of miracles as signs of an elevated prophetic soul rather than evidentiary proofs.
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22:32
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22:32
Divine Speech, Revelation, and Prophethood in Akbarī Thought by Dr Halim Calis
Dr Calis introduces listeners to the rich metaphysical world of Ibn al-‘Arabī and the Akbarī tradition, where revelation is seen as an ontological process rather than a historical event. He explains how divine speech unfolds through the hierarchical realms of existence and clarifies the misunderstood distinction between risāla (messengership) and wilāya (sainthood). The discussion connects classical Sufi metaphysics to contemporary debates on divine communication.
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21:32
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21:32
Ibn Taymiyya’s Epistemology of Prophethood and Miracles by Dr Nazir Khan
Dr Nazir Khan presents Ibn Taymiyya’s comprehensive rethinking of prophetic evidence. Rather than relying solely on miracles, Ibn Taymiyya integrates moral integrity, rational coherence, and alignment with human nature into a broader epistemology of prophethood. The episode examines his critique of kalām theologians, his distinction between angelic and jinn-assisted feats, and his preference for Qur’anic terminology such as āyāt and barāhīn.
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19:01
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19:01
Hume’s ‘Of Miracles,’ Islam, and Prophetic Revelation by Professor Imran Aijaz
In this presentation, Professor Aijaz revisits David Hume’s famous critique of miracles and argues that it has major — and often overlooked — implications for Muslim philosophy of religion. He explains why arguments for prophecy based on miracle reports fail under Hume’s analysis and calls for Muslim philosophers to rethink the epistemological foundations of belief in prophecy and revelation.
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19:44
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19:44
Where Falsafa Meets Analytic Philosophy of Religion: A Farabian-Hickian View of Prophecy by Dr Jamie Turner
Dr Jamie Turner brings the medieval philosophy of al-Fārābī into conversation with the modern thought of John Hick. He proposes that both thinkers offer a “bottom-up” model of prophecy that emphasises human intellectual and moral refinement. This model opens possibilities for religious pluralism and offers new ways to respond to epistemic and moral challenges in Islam, while still preserving much of the traditional narrative.
AMI Podcasts explore a range of different topics including the latest cutting-edge research within the field of Islamic Studies, book reviews by prominent authors and academics, and discussions among scholars of diverse faiths and denominations within Islam.
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