13/09/2015

AlShahrastaniWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AlShahrastani
FromWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

TjalDnAbalFathMuhammadibn`AbdalKarmashShahrastn(10861153CE)wasaninfluentialPersian[1]historianofreligionsanda
historiographer.Hisbook,KitabalMilalwaalNihal(lit.TheBookofSectsandCreeds)wasoneofthepioneersindevelopingascientificapproachto
thestudyofreligions.Besidesthese,hewasalsoanIslamicscholar,philosopherandtheologian.

Contents
1Life
2Works
2.1SunniorIsma'ili?
2.2Philosophy
3Notes
4Bibliography
5Seealso
6References
7Externallinks

Life
VeryfewthingsareknownaboutalShahrastn'slife.Hewasbornin1086CE/479A.H.,inthetownofShahristn(KhorasanprovinceofPersia)
whereheacquiredhisearlytraditionaleducation.Later,hewassenttoNshprwherehestudiedunderdifferentmasterswhowerealldisciplesofthe
Ash`aritheologianalJuwayn(d.1085/478).Attheageofthirty,alShahrastnwenttoBaghdadtopursuetheologicalstudiesandtaughtforthree
yearsattheprestigiousAsh`arischool,alNizmiyya.Afterwards,hereturnedtoPersiawhereheworkedasNib(Deputy)ofthechancelleryfor
Sanjar,theSaljqrulerofKhursn.Attheendofhislife,alShahrastnwentbacktoliveinhisnativetown,wherehediedintheyear1153/548.

Works

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlShahrastani

1/6

13/09/2015

AlShahrastaniWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AlShahrastanidistinguishedhimselfbyhisdesiretodescribeinthemostobjectivewaytheuniversalreligioushistoryofhumanity.Thisisreflectedin
hisKitabalMilalwaalNihal(TheBookofSectsandCreeds),amonumentalwork,whichpresentsthedoctrinalpointsofviewofallthereligionsand
philosophieswhichexisteduptohistime.Thebookwasoneoftheearliestsystematicstudiesofreligion,andisnotedforitsnonpolemicalstyleand
scientificapproach.AFrenchtranslationofthebookbyGimaret,MonnotandJolivetwassponsoredbyUNESCO(Livredesreligionsetdessectes.
Peeters:1986,1993).
Besidesthis,therichnessandoriginalityofalShahrastani'sphilosophicalandtheologicalthoughtismanifestedinhisothermajorworks,whichinclude:
TheNihayatalaqdamfi'ilmalkalam(TheEndofStepsintheScienceofTheology)presentsdifferenttheologicaldiscussionsandshowsthe
limitsofMuslimtheology(kalam).
TheMajlisisadiscourse,writtenduringthematureperiodofhislife,deliveredtoaTwelverShi`iteaudience.
TheMusara`atalFalasifa(TheStrugglewithPhilosophers)criticizesIbnSina(Avicenna)sdoctrinesbyemphasizingsomepeculiarIsma'ili
argumentsonthedivisionofbeings.
TheMafatihalAsrarwamasabihalabrar(TheKeysoftheMysteriesandtheLampsoftheRighteous)introducestheQuranandgivesa
completecommentaryonthefirsttwochaptersoftheQuran.

SunniorIsma'ili?
AlShahrastani'sownbeliefsaredifficulttocategorisebecausehejuggledmanydifferentphilosophicalandtheologicalvocabularies.Hewasaclever
thinker,demonstratedbytheintricaciesofmanytraditionsandtheShi`itenotionofthe'Guide'(Imam)foundinhisthoughts.AlShahrastanihadmany
reasonstospeaksomewhatallegorically.Hewasaverysubtleauthorwhooftenspokeindirectlybymeansofsymbols.Hepreferredhisownpersonal
vocabularytothetraditionalone.Forthisreason,hispositionishardtodetermine.Itmaywellbethatideologicalconsiderationsledhimtospeak
indirectlyheperhapsassumedthosefamiliarwiththesymbolswouldbeabletounravelhiselusiveideas.Forallthesereasons,manyscholarswhohave
studiedalShahrastaniweremisledconcerninghisreligiousidentity.
ThoughalShahrastaniisgenerallyregardedasanSunniAsh'aritheologian,hehadbeenaccusedbyhiscontemporaries,alKhwarazmiandalSam'ani,
ofbeingdrawntothe"peopleofthemountainfortresses",i.e.theNizariIsma'ilisofAlamut(See:HassaniSabbahandtheHashshashin).Thisviewis
supportedbymodernscholars,suchasMuhammadRidJallNn,MuhammadTaqDnishPazhh,WilferdMadelung,JeanJolivet,GuyMonnot,
andDianaSteigerwaldwhocharacterisehisworksasbelongingtotheIsma'ilitradition,whileattributinghispublicAsh'arismandShafi'ismtothe
practiceoftaqiyya(religiousdissimulation),sinceIsm`liswerepersecutedduringthattime.[2]

Philosophy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlShahrastani

2/6

13/09/2015

AlShahrastaniWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AsopposedtoAsh'arites,alShahrastanipresentsagradationinthecreation(khalq).HegivesadefinitionofthePropheticImpeccability(`Isma)
opposedtotheAsh`aritetradition,maintainingthatitsubsistsintheProphetaspartofhisrealnature.AsdidalGhazzali,alShahrastaniharshly
criticizesAvicenna'sNecessaryBeingwhoknowstheuniversalbutnottheparticular.AlShahrastani,particularlyintheMusara`aalFalasifa,hasan
Isma'iliconceptionoftheOriginator(Mubdi`)beyondBeingandnonBeing.HearguesconvincinglyfortheexistenceofDivineAttributes,buthedoes
notascribethemdirectlytoGod.TrueworshipmeansTawhiddeclaringtheUnicityofGod.Thisincludesthenegationofallattributeswhichhumans
givetoGod,theUltimateOnewhoistotallytranscendent.GodisUnknowable,Indefinable,Unattainable,andabovehumancomprehension.
Asforthetheoryofcreation,intheNihaya,alShahrastaniinsiststhatGodistheonlyCreatorandtheonlyAgent.Healsodevelopsadifferent
interpretationofexnihilocreationwhichdoesnotmeancreationoutofnothing,butcreationmadeonlybyGod.[3]IntheMajlisandtheMafatihal
Asrar,theangelsplayadominantroleinthephysicalcreation.[4]HistheoryoftheDivineWord(Kalima)hasaconvincingIsma'iliimprintforexample,
hishierarchyofangelsandDivineWords(Kalimat)areconceivedasbeingthecausesofspiritualbeings.AlShahrastaniintheNihayawrites:
"...his[Divine]Command(Amr)ispreexistentandhismultipleKalimatareeternal.ByhisCommand,Kalimatbecomethemanifestation
ofit.SpiritualbeingsarethemanifestationofKalimatandbodiesarethemanifestationofspiritualbeings.TheIbda`(Originationbeyond
timeandspace)andkhalq(physicalcreation)becomemanifested[respectivelyin]spiritualbeingsandbodies.AsforKalimatandletters
(huruf),theyareeternalandpreexistent.SincehisCommandisnotsimilartoourcommand,hisKalimatandhislettersarenotsimilarto
ourKalimat.SincelettersareelementsofKalimatwhicharethecausesofspiritualbeingswhogoverncorporealbeingsallexistence
subsistsintheKalimatAllahpreservedinhisCommand."[5]
IntheMajlis,alShahrastanidividesthecreationintotwoworldsthespiritualworld(i.e.theworldoftheOriginationofspirits(Ibda'iarwah))inan
achieved(mafrugh)stateandtheworldofphysicalcreation(khalq)inbecoming(musta'naf).HesharesanIsma`ilicosmologyinwhichGodhasbuilt
hisreligionintheimageofcreation.
TheconceptionofProphecydevelopedintheNihayaisclosertothatofIsma`ilisandFalasifa(Islamicphilosophers)thantoAsh`arites,becauseal
ShahrastaniestablishesalogicallinkbetweenmiraclesandPropheticImpeccability(`Isma).ForalShahrastani,theproofofveracity(sidq)ofthe
ProphetisintrinsictohisnatureandisrelatedtohisImpeccability.[6]HedevelopstheconceptofcyclicaltimeexplicitlyintheMilal,theMajlis,andthe
MafatihandimplicitlyintheNihaya.IntheMajlis,hisunderstandingofthedynamicevolutionofhumanityissimilartoIsma`ilism,inwhicheach
Prophetopensanewcycle.AlShahrastanirecoversthemythicalQur'anicstoryofMosesandtheServantofGodinspiredbyAlRisalaalMudhhibaof
alQadialNu'man(d.974).
AlShahrastaniwasanableandlearnedmanofgreatpersonalcharm.Therealnatureofhisthoughtisbestreferredtobythetermtheosophy,intheolder
senseof"divinewisdom".However,alShahrastaniwascertainlynottotallyagainsttheologyorphilosophy,evenifhewasveryharshagainstthe
theologiansandthephilosophers.AsheexplainedintheMajlis,inordertoremainontherightpath,onemustpreserveaperfectequilibriumbetween
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlShahrastani

3/6

13/09/2015

AlShahrastaniWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

intellect(`aql)andaudition(sam`).Aphilosopheroratheologianmustusehisintellectuntilhereachestherationallimit.Beyondthislimit,hemust
listentotheteachingofProphetsandImams.
Hisworksreflectacomplexinterweavingofintellectualstrands,andhisthoughtisasynthesisofthisfruitfulhistoricalperiod.InhisconceptionofGod,
Creation,Prophecy,andImama,alShahrastaniadoptedmanydoctrinalelementsthatarereconcilablewithNizariIsma'ilism.ThenecessityofaGuide,
belongingbothtothespiritualandthephysicalworld,isprimordialinhisschemesincetheImamismanifestedinthisphysicalworld.

Notes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Schimmel,Annemarie(1992).Islam:AnIntroduction(Translationof:DerIslam).SUNYPress.ISBN0791413276.OCLC25201546.p.86
(Steigerwald1997,pp.298307)
(alShahrastani1934,pp.189)
(alShahrastani1998,p.82)(alShahrastani1989,vol.I:109versoline24to110rectoline1)
(alShahrastani1934,p.316)
(alShahrastani1934,pp.4445)

Bibliography
DanishPazhuh,MuhammadTaqi,"Da'ialdu`atTajaldiniShahrastana."Namayiastaniquds,1968.vol.7,pp.7780.
DanishPazhuh,MuhammadTaqi,"Da'ialdu`atTajaldiniShahrastana."Namayiastaniquds,1969,vol.8,pp.6171.
(French) Gimaret,Daniel,Monnot,GuyandJolivet,Jean,Livredesreligionsetdessectes.2vols.Belgium(Peeters):UNESCO,19861993.
(French) Jolivet,Jean,"AlShahrastncritiqued'Avicennedanslaluttecontrelesphilosophes(quelquesaspects),"ArabicSciencesandPhilosophy,2000,vol.10,
pp.275292.
Madelung,Wilferd,"AshShahrastanisStreitschriftgegenAvicennaundihreWiderlegungdurchNasiraddinatTusi."AktendesVII.KongressesfrArabistik
undIslamwissenschaft,AbhandlungenderAkademiedesWissenschafteninGttingen,1976,vol.98,pp.2509.
(French) Monnot,Guy,"Islam:exgsecoranique."Annuairedel'colePratiquedesHautestudes,198384,vol.92,pp.30515.
(French) Monnot,Guy,"Islam:exgsecoranique."Annuairedel'colePratiquedesHautestudes,vol.95,pp.25359.
(French) Monnot,Guy,"Islam:exgsecoranique."Annuairedel'colePratiquedesHautestudes,vol.96,19871988,pp.23743.
(French) Monnot,Guy,1996"Shahrastani."Encyclopdiedel'islam,1996,vol.9,pp.22022.
(French) Monnot,Guy,1999BookreviewofLapensephilosophiqueetthologiquedeShahrastani(m.548/1153)byDianeSteigerwaldinBulletincritiquedes
annalesislamologiques,vol15,pp.7981.
Monnot,Guy,2001BookreviewofMajlisimaktubiShahrastaniimun'aqiddarKhwarazm.Ed.MuhammadRidaR.JalaliNa'iniandtranslatedintoFrenchby
DianeSteigerwaldinMajlis:Discourssurlordreetlacration.SainteFoy(Qubec):LesPressesdelUniversitLavalinBulletincritiquedesannales
islamologiques,vol.17.
Na'ini,Jalali,SharhiHalwaAthariHujjatalHaqqAbualFathMuhammadb.'AbdalKarimb.AhmadShahrastani.Tehran,1964.
alNu'man,AbuHanifa,1956AlRisalaalMudhhiba.InKhamsRasa'ilIsma'iliyya.Ed.`ArifTamir,Beirut.
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim,1850KitabalMilalwaalNihal.Trans.TheodorHaarbrckerinReligionspartheienundPhilosophenSchulen.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlShahrastani

4/6

13/09/2015

AlShahrastaniWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

Vol.1Halles.
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim,1923KitabalMilalwaalNihal.Ed.WilliamCuretoninBooksofReligionsandPhilosophicalSects.2vols.
Leipzig:OttoHarrassowitz(reprintoftheeditionofLondon1846).
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim(1934),NihayatalAqdamfi'IlmalKalam,partiallytranslatedbyEd.AlfredGuillaumeinTheSumma
PhilosophiaeofShahrastani,Oxford:OxfordUniversityPress
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim,13661375/19471955KitabalMilalwaalNihal.Ed.MuhammadFathAllahBadran,2vols.Cairo.
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim,1396/1976Musara'atalFalasifa.Ed.SuhayrM.Mukhtar.Cairo.
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim(1989),MafatihalAsrarwamasabihalabrar,Tehran
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim(1998),MuhammadRidaR.JalaliNa'ini,ed.,MajlisimaktubiShahrastaniimun'aqiddarKhwarazm,translated
intoFrenchbyDianeSteigerwaldinMajlis:Discourssurlordreetlacration,SainteFoy(Qubec):LesPressesdelUniversitLaval
AlShahrastani,AbualFathIbn'AbdalKarim,2001Musara'atalFalasifa.Ed.andtranslatedbyWilferdMadelungandTobyMayerinStrugglingwiththe
Philosopher:ARefutationofAvicenna'sMetaphysics.London:I.B.Tauris.
(French) Steigerwald,Diana,1995"L'Ordre(Amr)etlacration(khalq)chezShahrastani."FoliaOrientalia,vol.31,pp.16375.
Steigerwald,Diana,1996"TheDivineWord(Kalima)inShahrastani'sMajlis."StudiesinReligion/Sciencesreligieuses,vol.25.3,pp.33552.
Steigerwald,Diana(1997),LapensephilosophiqueetthologiquedeShahrastani(m.548/1153)(inFrench),SainteFoy(Qubec):LesPressesdel'Universit
Laval
(French) Steigerwald,Diana,1998"Ladissimulation(taqiyya)delafoidansleshi'ismeismalien."StudiesinReligion/Sciencesreligieuses,vol.27.1,pp.3959.
Steigerwald,Diana,2001BookreviewofalShahrastani,KitabalMusra'atalFalasifa(StrugglingwiththePhilosopher:ARefutationofAvicenna's
Metaphysics),editedandtranslatedbyWilferdMadelungandTobyMayer,London,Tauris,2001inStudiesinReligion/Sciencesreligieuses,vol.30.2,pp.233
234.
Steigerwald,Diana,"TheContributionofalShahrastanitoIslamicMedievalThought."InReasonandInspiration:IslamicStudiesinHonorofHermannA.
Landolt.London:I.B.Tauris,2005.

Seealso
KitabalMilalwaalNihal
ListofPersianscientistsandscholars

References
Books
Schimmel,Annemarie(1992).Islam:AnIntroduction(Translationof:DerIslam).SUNYPress.ISBN0791413276.OCLC25201546
(https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/25201546).

Externallinks
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlShahrastani

5/6

13/09/2015

AlShahrastaniWikipedia,thefreeencyclopedia

AlShahrastani(http://www.iep.utm.edu/s/shahras.htm)attheInternetEncyclopediaofPhilosophy
AlShahrastani(IslamicPhilosophyOnline)(http://www.muslimphilosophy.com/ei2/Shahrastani.htm)
Digitalisations(http://menadoc.bibliothek.unihalle.de/ssg/search/field?
vl.person=%C5%A0ahrast%C4%81n%C4%AB%2C%20Mu%E1%B8%A5ammad%20Ibn%CA%BFAbdalKar%C4%ABm%20a%C5%A1)
(ofHaarbrcker'sGermantranslations)(UBHalle)
Digitalisations(ofHaarbrcker'sGermantranslation185051),atGoogleBooks:v.1:[1](http://books.google.com/books?id=r0NMAAAAIAAJ),
[2](http://books.google.com/books?id=XeUFAAAAQAAJ),v.12:[3](http://books.google.com/books?id=MwVMAAAAYAAJ)
Retrievedfrom"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AlShahrastani&oldid=660057837"
Categories: 1086births 1153deaths Muslimscholars Muslimphilosophers Muslimhistorians Persianphilosophers Historiansofreligion
Ash'aris 12thcenturyIranianpeople
Thispagewaslastmodifiedon30April2015,at13:49.
TextisavailableundertheCreativeCommonsAttributionShareAlikeLicenseadditionaltermsmayapply.Byusingthissite,youagreetothe
TermsofUseandPrivacyPolicy.WikipediaisaregisteredtrademarkoftheWikimediaFoundation,Inc.,anonprofitorganization.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AlShahrastani

6/6