Islamic Contributions to Comparative Religion including by Major Muslim Scholars like Ibn Hazm of Andalusia, al-Shahrastani, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, etc

By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam 20 September 2025 Abstract: Muslims have played a pioneering role in promoting dialogical literature and comparative religion. From the Qur’an and Hadith to historical works, Islamic sources encouraged interfaith understanding. Scholars like al-Biruni, Ibn Hazm, al-Shahrastani, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Sir Syed Ahmad Khan produced remarkable contributions. Their writings reduced misunderstandings, promoted tolerance, and established peace between communities. Translation of Hindu texts into Arabic and Urdu also helped in cultural exchange. Today, comparative religion is a respected academic discipline worldwide. Muslim efforts highlight how literature can either build harmony or spread hatred, and they chose the constructive path of peace and unity. Main Points: 1. Literature shapes minds, societies, and preserves cultural and moral values. 2. Hatred-based literature destroys tolerance, unity, and leads to downfall. 3. Muslim scholars pioneered comparative religion, producing valuable dialogical works. 4. Translations of religious texts created bridges between diverse communities. 5. Today’s world needs dialogical literature for peace and harmony. ----- Constructive Role of Literature Constructive and positive literature always guarantees the well-being and prosperity of nations and societies. The presence and promotion of sound and beneficial literature are considered a sign of a bright, developed, and flourishing future for any community. In the same way, the revival and growth of literature play a central role in shaping the intellectual and moral training of the younger generation. Literature, in every form, attracts the human mind, rules over the heart, and presents before humanity such vision, ideology, and outlook that ensure the reform, development, and progress of civilization. Similarly, the promotion of positive literature is considered necessary for the preservation of social values and the safeguarding of cultural traditions. Negative Impact of Literature On the other hand, if literature filled with hatred, prejudice, and narrow-mindedness spreads in society, then that society is surely led towards rebellion and destruction. Such literature damages social values, weakens the foundations of mutual respect, and erases patience, tolerance, and unity from society. As a result, the younger generation often falls into the darkness of arrogance, misguidance, and crime. In short, literature always carries two directions: it can elevate a nation, ensuring its honour, glory, and progress, or it can drag it towards decline, downfall, and disgrace. The Present Situation of the World When we look at today’s world, we find that storms of hatred, alienation, and conflict between civilisations are blowing across societies. There are many reasons for this: at times, it is the desire for political dominance, while at other times, it is the misinterpretation or distortion of original religious teachings. In such circumstances, it becomes essential to promote such literature and such cultural values that may restore trust, credibility, and faith among communities, enabling them to live together with love, peace, and mutual respect. Importance of Dialogical Literature From this perspective, the value of dialogical literature becomes very important. In today’s globalised and conflict-ridden world, the significance of interfaith and intercultural dialogue cannot be denied. On one side, there are groups and powers who, for the sake of their selfish interests and political gains, continuously harm our peaceful civilisation. On the other side, there are also countless communities and individuals who are struggling to counter communal hatred and religious enmity. Muslims as Pioneers of Comparative Religion When we study the history of dialogical literature and inter-civilisational dialogue, it becomes clear that from the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) until today, Muslims have rendered invaluable services. They have produced an impressive amount of literature in the field of interfaith dialogue. The objective of this article is to highlight the precious contributions of Muslims in the discipline of comparative religion. Édouard Pénard de la Boulaye acknowledged in his book L’Étude Comparée des Religions that Muslim intellectuals were the true pioneers of the study of religions. He wrote: “Ibn Hazm of Andalusia was not only one of the most prominent scholars of Islam but also among the first thinkers in the history of human civilization who laid the foundations of comparative religion.” Similarly, Eric J. Sharpe mentioned that the credit of writing the first systematic book on the history of religions goes to al-Shahrastani. In his al-Milal wa al-Nihal, he divided the ten major religions of his time into a historical and rational framework. Adam Metz remarked that the biggest difference between Islamic and Christian states of the Middle Ages was that the Islamic world had within it a large number of diverse religions, all of which were given tolerance and acceptance. This tolerance was entirely unknown in Europe during that period. And it was this tolerance that laid the foundations of comparative religion. Franz Rosenthal, in the Encyclopaedia Britannic, wrote: “The West accepts without hesitation that the study of comparative religion is one of the greatest achievements of Islamic civilization. It has significantly advanced the history of human thought.” He further stated that the appearance of this discipline within Islam was made possible by those scholars who encouraged objective, rational, and systematic approaches. The Qur’an itself, he pointed out, contains several references to different religions and philosophies. The openness of Muslims to dialogue and debate provided a cultural environment in which a sense of responsibility for the progress of civilisation developed. Islamic Sources for Comparative Religion At this point, it is important to examine the basic Islamic sources. The first and foremost inspiration for comparative religion comes from the Holy Qur’an. The Qur’an repeatedly mentions previous Prophets and their nations. For example: the story of Adam (peace be upon him), the accounts of Moses (peace be upon him), the reference to Khidr (peace be upon him), mentions of Isaac (peace be upon him), Jesus (peace be upon him), the Children of Israel, the tribes of ‘Ad, Thamud, Amalek, the Companions of the Wood, the people of al-Rass, the people of Lot, and the people of Salih (peace be upon them all). Although the Qur’an is not a book of comparative religion, its references provide lessons for humanity and serve as guiding sources for scholars working in the field. Hadith literature is the second important source. Many Hadith narrations discuss earlier Prophets and nations. For example, in the “Book of Prophets” in Hadith collections, there are details about previous religious communities which directly relate to comparative religion. In addition, historical and biographical works also preserve material on comparative religion. Ibn Kathir in al-Bidaya wa al-Nihaya, Ibn Khaldun in Kitab al-‘Ibar, and Ibn al-Athir in al-Kamil fi al-Tarikh all wrote accounts of earlier Prophets and nations. These writings demonstrate that comparative religion was seen not only as an academic exercise but also as a means of advice, guidance, and inter-communal harmony. Works of Early Muslim Scholars Some of the most significant contributions of Muslim scholars in this field include: Kitab fi Tahqiq ma li’l-Hind by al-Biruni, al-Fasl fi al-Milal wa al-Ahwa’ wa al-Nihal by Ibn Hazm, al-Milal wa al-Nihal by al-Shahrastani, al-Jawab al-Sahih li-man Baddala Din al-Masih by Ibn Taymiyyah, Hidayat al-Hayara fi Ajwibat al-Yahud wa al-Nasara by Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah, Tabyin al-Kalam fi Tafsir al-Tawrat wa al-Injil ‘ala Millat al-Islam by Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. Other important contributions include Maulana Inayat Rasul Chiryakoti’s commentary on the Torah, known as Bashri. Similarly, Dara Shikoh translated the Upanishads into Persian under the title Sirr-e-Akbar. In the modern Arab world, Ahmad Shalaby wrote Adyan al-Hind al-Kubra, while Hadith scholar Dr. Dhiya al-Rahman Azmi authored Dirasat fi al-Yahudiyyah wa al-Masihiyyah wa Adyan al-Hind. In addition, journals such as Gagan and Da‘wat published special issues dedicated to religions, which provided important academic resources. These works are still regarded as reliable references in comparative religion. Development of Comparative Religion Today In the present day, comparative religion has become an academic discipline in many universities across the world. Not only in South Asia, but in Western countries as well, dedicated departments of comparative religion are established. Generally, comparative religion is divided into two categories: 1. Semitic Religions – Islam, Judaism, Christianity. 2. Non-Semitic Religions – Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism. With the growth of research, the field has expanded into new dimensions. Muslim scholars have made remarkable contributions in Arabic, Urdu, and other languages. Since the core texts of Hinduism are in Sanskrit, Muslim scholars translated them into Arabic and Urdu in order to understand them better and to build cultural bridges. Translations of works such as the Manusmriti, Arthashastra, Rig Veda, and the Bhagavad Gita created a positive impact and played a historical role in bringing people closer. Conclusion The literature and research of Muslim scholars in comparative religion show academic, analytical, and sometimes polemical features. This intellectual treasure is a proud heritage of the Muslim community and adds prestige to Islamic civilisation. In light of this discussion, it can be concluded that Muslims, through the promotion of constructive literature, have always strived to spread peace, harmony, and unity in society. Their efforts produced far-reaching outcomes: Firstly, they removed misunderstandings and doubts between different religions; Secondly, in today’s age where hatred, extremism, and false narratives about religions are spreading, such dialogical literature is necessary to end conflicts and bridge growing gaps. What the world needs most today is social peace, justice, and equality. Unfortunately, these values are missing from many parts of the world. But the study of religions, through comparative dialogue, can play a major role in reducing unrest and disorder, and in building a society of harmony and mutual respect. ----- Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi is an author and a New Age Islam regular columnist. 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