Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Adyan

Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Adyan (Encyclopedia of Denominations and Religions) is a contemporary two-volume reference work on comparative religions prepared by a team of researchers under the supervision of Alawi ibn Abd al-Qadir al-Saqqaf and published through the Dorar.net platform Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad….

Purpose and Scope

The encyclopedia was developed to examine religious traditions outside Islam, detailing their doctrinal tenets, historical evolution, and core ideas Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…. The compilers note that the need for a systematized study of world religions has become particularly acute in the modern era due to pervasive global communication, media, and internet access Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…. It aims to clarify the Islamic theological assessment of various faiths, distinguish sound doctrine from theological distortions, and provide readers with detailed knowledge of foreign traditions and their polemical arguments Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad….

Contents and Structure

Organized across two volumes, the encyclopedia surveys multiple world religions and eastern belief systems as they exist today Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…+1. Among the traditions covered are:

• Mandaean Sabianism: Examined as one of the oldest monotheistic traditions whose adherents are classified as people of a revealed book Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad….
• Hinduism and Indian Religions: Outlined alongside Brahmanism and the Vedic period, detailing the four Vedas (the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda), the Hindu pantheon (Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva), as well as comparative concepts across Indian traditions such as karma, reincarnation (tanasukh), and the caste system Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…+2.
• Jainism: Treated as an offshoot of ancient Indian thought emphasizing ascetic liberation from worldly constraints Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad….
• Shinto: Analyzed as a indigenous Japanese tradition evolving from nature and spirit veneration to imperial devotion Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…+1.
• Taoism: Traced back to sixth-century BCE China, covering its philosophy of alignment with nature, its pantheistic tendencies, and its historical relationship with early alchemy and searches for longevity Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…+1.

Method and Approach

The work examines eastern religions both historically and in their contemporary practices Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…. Methodologically, the work posits that several ancient eastern belief systems may have initially originated from monotheistic revelations before undergoing substantial alteration, polytheistic accretion, and theological corruption over centuries Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…. It highlights that residues of monotheism and textual allusions to prophethood can still be identified in some of their early scriptures Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad…. In compiling its entries, the text draws on classical Islamic works of heresy and religion as well as modern references and institutional studies Mawsuat al-Milal wa al-Ad….