Islam and God-Centricity – A Theological Basis for Human Liberation

The first volume of Shaykh Arif Abdul Hussain's five-part series Islam and God-Centricity, this book gathers eleven lectures delivered at the Hyderi Islamic Centre during Muharram 1437 (October 2015). It begins with Imam Husayn, whose complete surrender to God is presented as the model of a liberated human being, and lays the groundwork for the whole series: religion understood as a continual process of growth towards God rather than a fixed and final system.

Night by night the author argues that existence is in constant motion and that Islam, as surrender, means removing the inner obstacles to that growth. He discusses the place of reason in faith, questions the traditional picture of divine foreknowledge and predestination, presents the Prophet and Imams as human role models to emulate, calls Islam 'minimalistic', and explains shirk as a self-imposed restriction. The final night returns to Imam Husayn's supplication of 'Arafa.

Suited to readers interested in contemporary Shia theology and the purpose of religion. Published by Sajjadiyya Press, 2017.