Dirasat fi al-Diyanat al-Hindiyya
- Author died
- 1441 AH
- Editions
- Majallat al-Jāmiʿah al-Islāmīyah bi-al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah
Dirasat fi al-Diyanat al-Hindiyya (Studies in Indian Religions) is an academic treatise by Muhammad Diya al-Rahman al-Azami (d. 1441 AH / 2020 CE) examining the foundational texts, doctrines, and historical developments of major religions originating in the Indian subcontinent .
Background and Publication
The work was initially produced during al-Azami's studies at the Islamic University of Madinah and published as a serialized research column under the banner Nadwat al-Talabah ("Student Seminar") across multiple issues of the university's academic periodical, Majallat al-Jami'ah al-Islamiyyah bi-al-Madinah al-Munawwarah .
Scope and Content
The treatise addresses several major Indian religious traditions, focusing primarily on Hinduism and Jainism alongside comparative references to Buddhism and Sikhism :
- Hinduism: The author explores the lack of a single central creed in Hinduism and analyzes its primary scriptural sources, notably the four Vedas—the Rigveda, Samaveda, Atharvaveda, and Yajurveda—and their textual divisions (samhitas) . He also examines the Bhagavad Gita, detailing its narrative context surrounding Krishna and Arjuna, and discusses key philosophical concepts, including the doctrine of reincarnation (tanasukh), the four cosmological epochs (Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga), and the theological developments of polytheism and nature deities (devatas) . In treating modern interpretations, he engages with statements by Indian leaders and thinkers such as Mahatma Gandhi and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan .
- Jainism: The author surveys its historical origins, the belief in its twenty-four Tirthankaras culminating in Mahavira Swami, his historical interaction with Gautama Buddha, and the division of Jainism into two primary denominations: the Digambara and the Svetambara .
- Comparative References: The work contrasts the textual foundations of Hinduism with those of other traditions, citing Buddhist sacred teachings and the Sikh scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib .
Method and Objectives
In his methodological remarks, al-Azami notes that he relied on quotations drawn directly from the sacred scriptures of the respective traditions, interpreting these passages in accordance with the explanations of native scholars and adherents to maintain scholarly rigor and prevent accusations of partisanship . He deliberately avoids detailing superficial folklore or local customs, focusing instead on doctrinal foundations . Stating his objective as elucidating truth and evaluating doctrine from an Islamic perspective, he invokes the Quranic injunction in Surah al-An'am: وَلَا تَسُبُّوا الَّذِينَ يَدْعُونَ مِن دُونِ اللَّهِ ("And do not insult those they invoke besides Allah"), emphasizing scholarly refutation without derision .
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