Does Islam have a developed theology?

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I am wondering if Islam has theologians who have reflected, for example, on the nature and attributes of God, and tried to summarize or explain them, for example, the way that Frank Sheed does for basic Catholic theology in Theology For Beginners?

Or is it considered superfluous to use anything other than the Qu’ran?

And in that respect, who does the exegesis, or is allowed or expected to, for the Qu’ran?
 
Hi Jim,

you posed an important question.

Islam considers the knowledge of God’s Names and Attributes and the Knowledge of Allah in general as the greatest and best types of knowledge. It is from the most important matters of Islam that a Muslim learns about Allah, His Names, His Attributes, how to believe in them, and how to worship Him with them. Because for the one who does not know His Lord, how will he be able to worship Him correctly?

Its not possible to summarize this knowledge in just a post. So ive provided some links to articles that give an introductory to this knowledge.

How to Believe in the Attributes of Allah:
spubs.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=SCL01&articleID=SCL010002&articlePages=1

General principles Concerning the Names of Allah
spubs.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=SCL01&articleID=SCL010005&articlePages=1

And here is something a little more detailed on the subject. Its a classical work called Aqeedah al-Waasitiyah:
spubs.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=AQD04&articleID=AQD040003&articlePages=1

Another important classical work in Islam regarding how to believe in Allah:
spubs.com/sps/sp.cfm?subsecID=AQD04&articleID=AQD040002&articlePages=1
 
OK, those links are of some help; but what I had in mind is more along these lines:

Does Islam have a conception of God as spirit and not matter? Does it define his relation to time and eternity? Does it conceive of God as knowing himself, and of knowing creation in an omniscient manner? Does it try to reconcile our free will with his omnipotence?

With respect to the names of God, does Islam accept the Old Testament Prophets? And the name for Himself that he gave to Moses—the name of Yaweh (YHVH?)
 
"Does Islam have a conception of God as spirit and not matter? "
**
Islam accepts what God tols about himself in teh Quran . I dont think we can know the exact composition of God . At least teh Quran didnt reveal that . **

"Does it define his relation to time and eternity? "

God has no begining and no end

"Does it conceive of God as knowing himself, and of knowing creation in an omniscient manner? "

**I dont understand this last part sorry **

"Does it try to reconcile our free will with his omnipotence? "
**
God is all knowledgable of futruie and present and past but we have free will.**

"With respect to the names of God, does Islam accept the Old Testament Prophets? "
**
Islam with regard to the current Bible Only accepts what conforms with Islam and rejects what doesnt conform with Islam and is Neutral on the rest .**

“And the name for Himself that he gave to Moses—the name of Yaweh (YHVH?)”

Names dont matter much in Islam . Languages differ and God spoke to people with different languages . The important is to udnerstand who is God. Then you call him with whatever name he orederd us to use. In Arabic the Lord of Moses and Abraham is mentioned in teh Quran as Allah . In Aramaic it is mentioned as Alaha.

Hope i gave you some insight

Meedo
 
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