Muhammad Al Shahrastani

Abu al-Fath Muhammad b. `Abd al-Karim al-Shahrastani ( 1,086 - 1153 ) is a philosopher Persian , theologian , influential religious historian and specialist on heresy of Islam. He is the author of the Book of Religions and Sects (al-Kitab wa al-Nihal Milal), who introduced the scientific approach in the study of religions.

He is a pioneer who developed a scientific approach to the study of religions. Al-Shahrastani distinguished himself by his desire to describe as objectively as universal religious history of mankind.

His life

He was identified as a theologian "Ash` arity ', so some Islamic scholars such as Muhammad Rida Na'in Jalal , Muhammad Taqi Danish-Pazhh , Wilferd Madelung , Jean Jolivet and Guy Monnot firmly believe he was a Ismaili Nizari who practiced taqiya (religious dissimulation) as the Ismailis were persecuted at that time ^{The man and his work}

The true nature of his thought is best described by theosophy , in the old sense of "divine wisdom". However, al-Shahrastani certainly was not totally against theology or philosophy, even if severely critical theologians and philosophers. As he explained in one of these speeches Majlis to stay on the right path, we must maintain a balance between the intellect (`aql) and hearing (sam '). A philosopher or a theologian must use his intellect until it reaches the limit of reason. Beyond this limit, it must listen to the teaching of the Prophets and Imams (spiritual guides). His works reflect a complex interweaving of intellectual currents, his thought is a synthesis of this fruitful period. In his conception of God, creation, prophecy, and the Imamate, al-Shahrastani adopted several ideas that are reconcilable with the Nizari Ismailis. The need for a guide, belonging to the spiritual world and physical, is paramount in his theosophy as the imam is still present in this physical world. During the caliphate Abbasid `( seven hundred and fifty - 1258 ), the golden age of Islamic literature, many schools have developed the masterpieces of Islamic thought. Shiism has particularly influenced the destiny of Islam in politics and more philosophy. The Ismailis belong to Shia Islam. Al-Shahrastani was certainly not a theologian Ash `ary, as has often been said, even if it borrows some concepts commonly shared by diverse thinkers from various schools. He is a thinker difficult to assess because he likes to juggle with different philosophical and theological vocabulary. He mastered a variety of complex traditions and spoke often of how allegorical. It was a very subtle writer who revealed his thoughts often indirectly through symbols. He preferred his personal vocabulary instead of the commonly used. For this reason, it is very difficult to determine its true position. As he was secretly Ismaili and the Ismailis were persecuted at that time, he deliberately chose to speak indirectly of his deepest thoughts in his work. He believed that those who know the symbols could unravel evasive in his ideas. For all these reasons, several researchers who have studied al-Shahrastani were wrong about his religious identity. The richness and originality of the philosophical and theological thought of al-Shahrastani is manifested in his major works. The Kitab al-Milal wa al-Nihal (Book of religions and sects), is a monumental work, where he presented the doctrinal views of all religions and philosophies that have existed until his time. It was the precursor of a scientific approach to present religions and their principles. The Nihayat aqdm f al-`ilm al-kalam (The Book of outcome paths in the science of kalam) presents various theological discussions and shows the boundaries of Islamic theology (kalam). The Majlis is a speech, written during the mature period of his life before an audience Twelver. The Musar `at al-Falasifa (The Struggle against the Philosophers) criticizes the doctrines of Avicenna highlighting some arguments typically Ismailis on the division of beings. The Mafth al-Asrar wa-al-Abrar Masabih (The Keys of the mysteries and lights of the servants of God) presents an explanation of the drafting of the Qur'an and provides a comprehensive commentary on the first two chapters.

A theosophy abstruse

Unlike Ash `Arita, al-Shahrastani has a gradation in the creation (Khalq). It gives a definition of prophetic sinlessness (`isma) opposite the Ash` ary tradition, maintaining that it subsists in the essence of the Prophet. Like al-Ghazzali, al-Shahrastani harshly critical of Avicenna's Necessary Being who knows the universal but not the individual. More specifically Musar `a al-Falasifa, it has a design Ismaili introduction (al-` Mubdi) beyond being and nonbeing. He asserts convincingly the existence of the divine attributes, but he does not attribute directly to God. True worship is to affirm the Oneness (Tawheed) of God which transcends all the attributes that give him human. The Ego is totally transcendent, unknowable, indefinable, beyond human comprehension and paradoxically also immanent.

As for the theory of creation, in Nihaya al-Shahrastani insists that God alone is the Creator and the only agent. He also develops a different interpretation of the creation ex nihilo does not mean creating from scratch, but that God alone is the Author of Creation (al-Shahrastani, 1934: 18-9). In the Majlis and Mafth al-Asrar, angels play a dominant role in the physical creation (al-Shahrastani, 1998, p. 82, 1989, Volume 1, p. 109 verso, line 24 to 110 recto line 1). His theory of the Logos (Kalima) reveals Ismaili influence, thus Logoi (Kalimat) are conceived as the real causes of spiritual beings. Al-Shahrastani also develops this theory in the Nihaya and he writes:

"We say that the order is pre-existing and that his Logoi (Kalimat) are multiple and eternal. Through the College, its Logoi are the manifestation of the Order. Spiritual beings are the manifestation of Logoi and bodies are the manifestation of spiritual beings. The Establishment (Ibda `) and creation (Khalq) begin References

See also

Bibliography

• Danish-Pazhuh, Muhammad Taqi, "Da` i al-du `at Taj al-Din-i Shahrastani." Nama-i Astan-i Quds, 1968. Vol. 7, pp. 77-80
• Danish-Pazhuh, Muhammad Taqi, "Da` i al-du `at Taj al-Din-i Shahrastani." Nama-i Astan-i Quds, 1969, vol. 8, pp. 61-71
• Gimaret, Daniel, Monnot, Guy and Jolivet, Jean, List of religions and sects. 2 vols. Belgium (Peeters): UNESCO, 1986-1993
• Jolivet, Jean, "Al-Shahrastani critical of Avicenna in the Fight against philosophers (some aspects)," Arabic Sciences and Philosophy, 2000, Volume 10, pp. 275-292
• Madelung, Wilferd, "Ash-Shahrastani Streitschrift gegen Avicenna und ihre Widerlegung durch Nasir ad-Din at-Tusi." Akten of VII. Und Kongress fr Arabistik Islamwissenschaft, Abhandlungen der Akademie Wissenschaften in Gttingen, 1976, Volume 98, pp. 250-9
• Monnot, Guy, "Islam: Koranic exegesis. "Yearbook of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, 1983-84, Volume 92, pp. 305-15
• Monnot, Guy, "Islam: Koranic exegesis. "Yearbook of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Volume 95, pp. 253-59
• Monnot, Guy, "Islam: Koranic exegesis. "Yearbook of the Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Volume 96, 1987-1988, pp. 237-43
• Monnot, Guy, 1996, "Shahrastani. "Encyclopedia of Islam, 1996, Volume 9, pp. 220-22.
• Monnot, Guy, 1999 report of the philosophical and theological Shahrastani (d. 548/1153) by Diane Steigerwald in the annals Islamology critical Bulletin, Volume 15, pp. 79-81
• Monnot, Guy, 2001 report Maktub Majlis-i-i-i Shahrastani mun'aqid Khwarazm dar. Edited by Muhammad Rida R. Jalali Na'in and translated into French by Diane Steigerwald in Majlis: Speech and order creation. Sainte-Foy (Qubec): Presses de l'Universit Laval in Bulletin critique of history Islamic studies, Volume 17
• Na'in, Jalali, Sharh-i Hal-i wa Athar al-Haqq Hujjat Abu al-Fath Muhammad b. 'Abd al-Karim b. Ahmad Shahrastani. Tehran, 1964
• al-Nu'man, Abu Hanifa, 1956, Al-Risala al-Mudhhiba. In Kham Rasa'il Isma'iliyya. Ed. by `Arif Tamir, Beirut
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim, 1850 Kitab al-Milal wa al-Nihal. Trans. Theodor Haarbrcker in Religionspartheien Philosophen-und Schulen. Volume 1, Les Halles
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim, 1923 Kitab al-Milal wa al-Nihal. Ed. William Cureton in Books of Religions and Philosophical Sects. 2 volumes. Leipzig: Otto Harrassowitz (reprint of London edition of The 1846)
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim, 1934 Nihayat al-Aqdam fi 'Ilm al-Kalam. Partially ed. and trans. Alfred Guillaume in The Summa Philosophiae of Shahrastani. Oxford: Oxford University Press
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim, Kitab al-1366-1375/1947-1955 Milal wa al-Nihal. Edited by Muhammad Fath Allah Badran, 2 vols. Cairo
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim al-Falasifa Musara'at 1396/1976. Edited by M. Mukhtar Suhayr. Cairo
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim, 1989 Mafatih al-Asrar wa-al-Abrar Masabih. Tehran
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim, 1998 Maktub Majlis-i-i-i Shahrastani mun'aqid Khwarazm dar. Edited by Muhammad Rida R. Jalali Na'in and translated into French by Diane Steigerwald in Majlis: Speech and order creation. Sainte-Foy (Qubec): Presses de l'Universit Laval
• Al-Shahrastani, Abu al-Fath b. `Abd al-Karim al-Falasifa Musara'at 2001. Edited and translated by Madelung and Toby Mayer Wilferd in Struggling With The Philosopher: A Refutation of Avicenna's Metaphysics. London: IB Tauris
• Steigerwald, Diane, 1995 "The Order (Amr) and creation (Khalq) in Shahrastani. "Folia Orientalia, vol. 31, pp.163-75
• Steigerwald, Diana, 1996 "The Divine Word (Kalima) in Shahrastani's Majlis. "Studies in Religion / Religious Studies, Vol. 25.3, pp. 335-52
• Steigerwald, Diane, 1997 The philosophical and theological Shahrastani (d. 548/1153). Sainte-Foy (Qubec): Presses de l'Universit Laval
• Steigerwald, Diane, 1998 "The dissimulation (taqiyya) of faith in the Ismaili Shi'ism." Studies in Religion / Religious Studies, Vol. 27.1, pp. 39-59
• Steigerwald, Diane, 2001 report of al-Shahrastani, Kitab al-al-Musra'at Falasifa (Struggling With The Philosopher: A Refutation of Avicenna's Metaphysics), edited and translated by Madelung and Toby Mayer Wilferd, London, Tauris, 2001 in Studies in Religion / Religious Studies, Volume 30.2, pp. 233-234
• Steigerwald, Diana, 2005 "The Contribution of al-Shahrastani to Islamic Medieval Thought." In Reason and Inspiration: Islamic Studies in Honor of Hermann A. Landolt. London: IB Tauris

External Links

• (En) Al-Shahrastani in IEP

• Philosophy portal
• Islam Portal

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