Islamic Cosmology
A syllabus, not a playlist.
This course explores the metaphysical vision of the universe as articulated by classical Islamic thinkers, with particular focus on the profound unity they saw between the soul, the cosmos, and the Divine. Challenging the modern fragmentation of knowledge and the separation of faith from reason, this course examines how Sufis and philosophers understood cosmology not merely as a study of the heavens, but as a contemplative path to self-knowledge.
Schedule of Meetings
Week 1: Wednesday, January 7, 2026 — 12:00 PM EST
Week 2: Wednesday, January 14, 2026 — 12:00 PM EST
Week 3: Wednesday, January 21, 2026 — 12:00 PM EST
Week 4: Wednesday, January 28, 2026 — 12:00 PM EST
Week 5: Wednesday, February 4, 2026 — 12:00 PM EST
Week 6: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 — 12:00 PM EST
A working command of the vocabulary of Islamic metaphysics — wujūd, māhiyya, the gradation of being — used precisely, not loosely.
The capacity to read primary texts of Ibn Sīnā and Mullā Ṣadrā with comprehension rather than reverence alone.
An understanding of why the tradition treats metaphysics as the science of realities — and what that claim asks of the knower.
Direct exchange with Professor Nasr in open Q&A after every session — the part no book can replace.
William C. Chittick is widely regarded as the English-speaking world’s foremost translator and interpreter of classical Islamic texts in the fields of Sufism and Ibn ʿArabī Studies. For more than five decades, his scholarship has introduced generations of students and scholars to the intellectual and spiritual traditions of Islam through authoritative translations and groundbreaking studies of figures such as Ibn ʿArabī, Rumi, Ṣadr al-Dīn al-Qūnawī, and Afḍal al-Dīn Kāshānī. At Tokat, he teaches Sufism and Islamic philosophy as living traditions of wisdom, guiding students through the writings of Islam’s greatest sages.
