This session will help students develop a clear, coherent understanding of Islamic belief as taught in the Twelver Shia tradition. It addresses confusion, inherited assumptions, and unanswered questions by grounding belief in reason, revelation, and lived faith. Students will gain intellectual confidence in what they believe, emotional clarity in why it matters, and a framework that allows them to navigate doubt, questions, and modern challenges without fear or fragility.
Students will learn the foundational tenets of Shia Islamic belief (uṣūl al-dīn) in a structured and thoughtful way. This includes understanding the oneness of God (tawḥīd), divine justice (ʿadl), prophethood (nubuwwah), imamate (imāmah), and the hereafter (maʿād). Beyond definitions, students will explore how these beliefs are known, why they are rational, how they shape ethics and behavior, and how they respond to contemporary intellectual, moral, and spiritual questions. The course emphasizes clarity, depth, and coherence rather than slogans or superficial explanations.
This class is ideal for anyone seeking a deeper, more grounded understanding of their faith. It is especially suited for university students, young professionals, educators, and community members who want more than inherited belief or surface-level knowledge. It is also valuable for those experiencing doubt, asking difficult questions, or wanting to reconnect with Islam intellectually and spiritually. No prior formal study is required, only sincerity and a willingness to think.
Sayyid Haidar Bahreluloom
Sayyid Haidar Bahreluloom is a strategist, lecturer, and public intellectual. His studies under the tutelage of the professors of the Islamic Seminary in the Holy City of Najaf, and his lectures in communities across the globe, have ranged across theology, jurisprudence, philosophy, ethics, and community development. In addition to serving as an advisor and trustee of The Mainstay Foundation, Sayyid Bahreluloom is a strategy consultant at a research and advisory firm.
- Start Date: Monday , January 5th, 2026
- End Date: Monday, February 9th, 2026
- Start Time: 06:00 PM ET
- Duration: 60-minutes
- Offered: In-Person & Virtual
- Location: The Mainstay Foundation
- 15170 N. Commerce Dr. Dearborn, MI 48120