Approaches to Encounter with the Diversity of Religions: An Inquiry into ʿAyn-al-Qużāt Hamadānī’s View

ʿAyn-al-Qużāt Hamadānī has paid special attention to the issue of the diversity of religions and has theorized this multiplicity by dividing religious belief into two types, real and imitative. The former is related to the main and direct teachings of the prophets and founders of religions and the latter is connected with adherents. According to him, the one true religion which results from the revelation of ultimate reality to the prophets is unique and is free of any plurality. The diversity occurs just in the beliefs of the majority of disciples owing to incorrect interpretations or different understanding of the prophets’ teachings, a fact which is sometimes inevitable. As those teachings become more distant from their main sources over time, it naturally causes disagreements and contentions. His main way to overcome this multiplicity or to accept it as an inevitable fact is first to disaccustom and abandon the imitative religion and return to the source doctrines of the prophets through intuition and revelation. It should also be admitted that it is possible to have different understandings of one single word and we should acknowledge this possibility and its requisites and welcome the diversity of religions and beliefs. This essay tries to present and explain ʿAyn-al-Qużāt’s viewpoint about the mentioned issues.