al-Adyan al-Wadiya - Jamiat al-Madina
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- Jāmiʻat al-Madīnah al-ʻĀlamīyah
al-Adyan al-Wadiya (The Man-Made Religions) is an academic textbook prepared and published by Jamiat al-Madina al-Alamiya (Al-Madinah International University) as part of its master's degree curriculum in Islamic studies, focusing on non-revealed Eastern religions .
Purpose and Definition
The textbook distinguishes between two main categories of religion: divinely revealed religions (adyan samawiyya), which were delivered through divine revelation to prophets and messengers, and man-made or positive religions (adyan wadiyya), which consist of human-formulated principles, rules, and general laws established without divine revelation . The work aims to familiarize graduate students with the history, origins, founders, geographic spread, and religious rites of these belief systems—primarily those practiced across South, East, and Southeast Asia—while presenting theological arguments critiquing their premises and explaining the stance of Islam toward them .
Structure and Content
Published in a single volume under the course code GUSU5103, the work is organized as a series of structured lessons covering major non-Abrahamic religious traditions :
- Indian Religions: The book provides an introductory overview of the geography and distribution of India's major religions . It explores Hinduism (Brahmanism), Buddhism, and Jainism, discussing their historical origins, the life and teachings of figures such as the Buddha and Mahavira, and foundational concepts such as karma, transmigration of souls, and nirvana . It also includes comparative studies analyzing their differing views on divinity, the authority of the Vedas, and the caste system .
- East Asian Religions: The curriculum examines the traditions of China and Japan, focusing on Confucianism, Daoism, ancestor worship, and the subsequent spread of Buddhism into China and Japan, as well as the historical emergence and development of Shinto .
- Persian Religions: The text addresses ancient Persian religions within the scope of regional Eastern faiths, dedicating specific lessons to Zoroastrianism (al-Zaradashtiyya) .
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