I am interested in an interdisciplinary study of classical theological debates in Muslim intellectual history to show how these “purely theoretical” debates continue to outline the manner in which Muslims of the 21^st-century see themselves intellectually and relate with contemporary sciences and philosophies. I am particularly interested in the possibility of 21^st-century philosophic-scientific interpretations of the Beautiful Names “Al-Awwal (The First) and Al-Ākhir (The Last) and Al-Ẓāhir (The Manifest) and Al-Bāṭin (The Hidden)” as revealed in the third ayah of Surat al-Hadeed. To this end, I have extensively studied the works of Imam Ibn Taymiyyah (may Allah’s Mercy be upon him) and how he presents a middle ground between the two major intellectual groups in 12^th-century Muslim society (the theologians and the philosophers) on some of these debates. I have also done a comparative study of Ibn Taymiyyah and Mulla Sadra (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) to show how Ibn Taymiyyah—a Sunni traditionist, and Mulla Sadra—a Shiʿa philosopher were united in their quest to resolve these debates but differed in their methodologies which impacted what they were able to achieve at the end of the day. In the future, I wish to study Ibn Taymiyyah, Allama Iqbal, and Charles Peirce together in this way in shaa Allah.

I dearly hope and pray that our efforts will be rewarded with the best in this life by providing service to the Ummah of the beloved prophet (ﷺ) and in the life to come by securing his intercession and Allah’s pleasure.