An evaluation of Siddiq Hasan Khan's "Habietü'l-Ekvân" from the perspective of Islamic sects history

In the history of Islamic thought in the 19th century, sectarian studies were an important part of the efforts to sustain Islamic sciences against the intellectual and cultural challenges brought about by the colonial period. One of the prominent scholars of this time, Siddiq Hasan Khan (1832–1890), played a key role in shaping and systematizing the Ahl-i Hadith school of thought. His work Habiah al-Akvân, authored within this field, not only perpetuates the classical milel wa-nihal tradition but also provides a significant contribution to our understanding of the religious and intellectual discourses that shaped the Indian during that period. In the work, not only Islamic sects but also other religions and philosophical schools are discussed in detail. Siddiq Hasan Khan played an important role in spreading Islam in India and making the region a center for Islamic learning. Especially during the British colonial period, he worked to keep Islamic sciences active against the growing influence of Western culture and modernist ideas. Muslim communities under colonial rule, who faced with an identity crisis, looked for guidance and Khan tried to provide religious and intellectual answers to this crisis. In the first part of the study, the life of Siddiq Hasan Khan, his scientific personality, his views on jurisprudence and theological sects, and his written works are discussed in the second section, his major work on the history of Islamic sects, Habiah al-Akvân, analyzing both the author's methodological framework for the study of sectarian history and his approach to the various sects and religious groups addressed within the text. Khan's ideas helped strengthen Islamic revivalist movements in India and contributed to the rise of Salafi thought. His works are still seen as important references in Islamic studies today.