EARLY CHRISTIAN SECTS AND SCHISMS IN AL-MILAL WA AL-NIḤAL: A STUDY ON MUḤAMMAD ʿABD AL-KARĪM AL-SHAHRASTĀNĪ

Abstract

Abū al-Fatḥ Muḥammad Ibn ʿAbdul al-Karīm Ahmad al-Shahrastānī (1086/479–1153/548) was one of the most prominent, multifaceted and creative Muslim thinkers in Islamic Thought. He embodied the multidisciplinary mastery and unity, personal integrity and courage of the Islamic religious-intellectual ideals. His contributions to scholarly works were manifold which cover a wide range of Islamic Thought including theology, philosophy and Qurʾānic sciences. Among his major works were those dealing with tafsīr, kalām and philosophy. This paper attempts to explore his contributions to religionwissenchaft with a specific reference to his observation on early Christian sects and schisms in his magnum opus, al-Milal wa alNiḥal.