Objective Approach of Muslim Scholars in the Study of Religions

Abstract

An impression is given by the people of the West that the objective approach of the study of religions has not been prevalent among Muslims. On the contrary, the determination of the purpose has been done first and the research activity has been implemented later. The review of this Western claim has been presented in this paper. Two Muslim thinkers have been selected in this regard, of which Abu Al-Hasan al-Amiri (381 AH/992 AD) is related to the early ones and Al-Sheikh Ahmad Shalabi (1421 AH/2000 AD) is related to the late ones.These two Muslim thinkers have presented their explanations on comparative religions and in this paper it is clarified that in the case of Abu al-Hasan al-Amiri, the objective approach to the study of religions was prevalent among Muslims in the past. Likewise, the same critical approach is also prevalent among recent Muslims. In this paper, Abu Al-Hasan al-Amiri's "Al-Alam Bumnaqib al-Islam" and Al-Shaykh Ahmad Shalabi's "Maqaran al-Idyan" have been made the focus of study.