Theological Background of Devil Doubts in "Melal-Va-Nehal" By "Mohammad Ibn Abd Al-Karim Shahrestani" Based on Jewish, Christian and Islamic Traditions

The creation of man, and the command of God to all angels to prostrate on him, and the devil refusal of this command (on the basis of Holy Quran and Islamic traditions) is the most important and challenging issue that has led to many doctrinal and theological views within Islamic religions to the extent that a great part of theological disputes between religions and different sects of Islam is related to the causes and effects of Devil creation and his seduction and temptation of man. It finally has resulted in philosophical/ theological discussions such as good and evil acts, determinism or free will, compensation and punishment for sins, theodicy, problem of evil and etc. In the sixth century, Muhammad ibn Abd al-Karim shahrestani in his popular book called " Melal-Va-Nehal ", enumerates seven devil doubts in religious matters based on the views of commentators on Torah and Gospels.Then he states that each of these doubts is a base for the formation of Islamic sects such as Murjia, Khawarij, Mutazilah, Ravafez (Shiite) and etc. Shahrestani by addressing some biblical or evangelical approaches and Israeli narratives involved in Islam, considered this issue as a means of proposing theological issues based on Ash’arites view (as he himself believed in it)