MAJALAH AL-HIKMAH EDISI 7 | 2019

dar had received up to that time. He translated a number of San- skrit works into Arabic such as selections from Patañja- li’s Yogasütras, the Bhagavad Gıta, Upanishads and Puranas. Al Biruni’s India was written in Arabic in simple manner divid- ed into 80 chapters on subjects such as religion and philosophy, festivals, astronomy, alchemy, manners and customs, social life, weights and measures, iconog- raphy, laws and metrology. Al- Biruni adopted a structure in each chapter, beginning with a question, following this up with a description based on Sanskritic traditions, and concluding with a comparison with other cultures. As Professor Annemaria Schim- mel (1992) affirms, Al-Biruni’s Book, India, is believed to take the pride as the first objective book ever written on the history of religion. Moreover Lawrence (1976) states that Al-Biruni’s view on Hinduism was more informa- tive compared to the other Mus- lim authors of Arabic books on sects and religions. For example, Al-Shahrastani (d. 1153), allocat - ed only a few pages for Hinduism in his work al-Milal wa al-Nihal. Al-Biruni’s works on Hinduism were not polemical or apologetic. He was only interested in stating the facts as they are presented by the Hindus themselves. He Says: I shall not produce the arguments of our antagonists in order to re - fute such of them, as I believe to be in the wrong. My book is noth - ing but a simple historic record of facts. I shall place before the read - er the theories of the Hindus exact- ly as they are, and I shall mention in connection with them similar theories of the Greeks in order to show the relationship existing be - tween them (Al-Beruni’s India). 4