Reconciling between Reason and Revelation & the Role of Intellect in Islam

About this lecture

In this intellectually rich lecture, Sheikh Yasir Qadhi explores the proper relationship between human reason (*aql*) and divine revelation (*naql*) in Islam, drawing on his Yale PhD dissertation on Ibn Taymiyyah's landmark work *Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wal-Naql*. He identifies four Quranic categories for the use of the intellect — establishing monotheism, recognizing prophethood, deepening faith, and deriving understanding from scripture — while firmly demonstrating why the intellect can never rightfully override the Quran. The lecture addresses the rise of atheism and secular rationalism, arguing that science and reason have an indispensable but limited role, and that true intelligence, as defined by the Quran itself, is to recognize and submit to divine truth.