al- Shahrastani’s exposition of selected Shi’a doctrines : an analysis

Abstract

Al-Shahrastani (479-548 AH/1086–1153 CE) was a prominent Persian philosopher, theologian, historian of religions, and heresiographer who made significant contributions to the understanding of religions and Muslim sects. Employing historical, analytical and comparative approaches, this study examines the life and scholarship of al- Shahrastani, focusing on how the political, religious, as well as intellectual milieux of the later ‘Abbasid era influenced his writing about religions and sects - particularly al-Milal wa al-Niḥal and Nihayat al-Iqdam fī ‘Ilm al-Kalam. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the development of Shī’ā doctrines during the fifth and sixth centuries AH, which grabbed al- Sharastānī’s interest and led him to engage critically with the doctrines. Subsequent discussion focuses on examining three selected doctrines of Shīʿa:1. the doctrine of ghayb (concealment) and raj’a (return), 2.the doctrine of batin (esoteric) and zahir (exoteric)interpretation, and 3. the doctrine of the bay’ah al-Imam (allegiance to an Imam). These analyses serve to better understand al- Shahrastani’s exposition and interpretation of early Shi’a thought. Key words: Al- Shahrastani, Shi’a, Ghayb and Raj’a, Batin and Zahir, Bay’ah