The uniqueness of Al-Biruni’s method in the formation of religious studies methodology

Al-Biruni studied the history and teachings of several religions, which allows us to affirm that, along with his contributions to various other scientific fields, the scholar made a significant impact on the development of religious studies and, so to speak, played a major role in the formation of this discipline. At the same time, we believe it is essential to identify and examine the unique features of Biruni’s approach to the study of religion. In other words, what principles did he rely upon when analyzing religious matters? What ideas guided him, served as the foundation of his conclusions, and what distinguished characteristics set him apart from other scholars in this field? These are among the questions the article seeks to answer. Furthermore, the article scientifically analyzes and classifies, for the first time, the methods Biruni employed in studying various religions. Although his views on idols and deities, customs, sacred texts, creation, the soul and jinn, the qibla, burial rites, religious symbols, and such belief systems as Brahmanism, Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Greek religions, Judaism, Christianity, Sabianism, Khorezmian beliefs, Arab polytheism, and Islam have been studied. Therefore, we concur with the views of K. Ataman and G. Kaur, who argue that Jeffery did not fully uncover Biruni’s religious thought (Kemal Ataman, 2008:59), and in this article, we focus on exploring the comparative aspect, which is the core feature of Biruni’s theology.