Al-Bīrūnī on Greek and Indian Philosophy: Divine Action and Reincarnation

In his monumental work on Indian culture and society, al-Bīrūnī (d. around 1048 AD ) sets out a multifaceted program. He aims at gathering various Indian religious, philosophical, and scientific beliefs for his Muslim audience, and in a second step compares this material to Greek philosophy and even Islamic doctrines. In this paper, we discuss al-Bīrūnī’s attitude towards his sources and his methodology in distinguishing beliefs held by the masses throughout the various religious traditions from beliefs that are rather established on firmer grounds, namely by way of a rational examination. We approach such questions by two case studies, on divine action and reincarnation.