: Features a digital version from the University of California collection . Summary of the Work

Introduction Kitab al-Milal wa al-Nihal (The Book of Sects and Creeds) is a seminal work of comparative religion and intellectual history written by the 12th–13th century Persian scholar Jamāl al-Dīn al-Shahrastānī (d. 548/1153–1154 CE). It stands as one of the earliest systematic surveys of religious and philosophical systems, notable for its relatively dispassionate, encyclopedic treatment of beliefs ranging from major faiths to small sects and philosophical schools.

The work is a cornerstone of and comparative religious studies for several reasons:

Extensive chapters on Greek philosophy (Neoplatonism, Aristotle, etc.) and its influence on Islamic thinkers like al-Farabi and Ibn Sina.

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