Bir Filozofun Perspektifinden Dinî Çeşitlilik: Ebü’l-Hasan el-Âmirî’de Gerçek Dinin Keşfi
Religious Diversity from a Philosopher’s Perspective: The Discovery of True Religion in Abū alḤasan al-ʿĀmirī

Summary/Abstract: This study explores the approach of Abū al-Ḥasan al-ʿĀmirī (d. 381/992), a prominent figure in Islamic thought, to the problem of religious diversity, focusing on the recently discovered treatise Masāʾil al-Rayy. The work addresses the possibility of attaining truth amid the existence of multiple religions as its central question. Al-ʿĀmirī discusses the issue through the skeptical discourse of Burzūya, a Sasanian-era physician who translated Kalīla wa Dimna into Middle Persian. Al-ʿĀmirī’s approach centers on defining religion, classifying religions, examining the nature of disagreements, and outlining a method for reaching truth. He seeks to overcome the intellectual confusion caused by the coexistence of diverse religions and sects in his time, using philosophical principles. In this respect, Masāʾil al-Rayy is one of the few classical sources to treat the subject systematically, serving as a roadmap for truth-seekers. Although religious diversity is now mostly discussed within contemporary philosophy of religion, studies from the perspective of Islamic philosophy and kalam remain limited. Existing works often consist of translations and brief analyses of selected texts, or examinations of Muslim thinkers’ responses to religious diversity. This study, however, centers on Masāʾil al-Rayy, one of the rare classical sources that addresses the subject systematically, while also providing a comparative analysis with the philosopher's other works such as al-Irshād litaṣḥīḥ al-iʿtiqād and al-Iʿlām bi-manāqib al-Islām. The findings indicate that al-ʿĀmirī developed an optimistic perspective against skeptical approaches, proposed an epistemological method consisting of interconnected stages in the pursuit of truth, and demonstrated that such an approach can guide individuals toward correct belief.

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