Muslim Scholars and Sufis Who Knew Sanskrit
By Dr. Zafar Darik Qasmi, New Age Islam
4 July 2025
Muslim scholars and Sufis learned Sanskrit to study Hinduism, promoted interfaith harmony, and highlighted the importance of languages in fostering peace, mutual understanding, and cultural unity in society.
Main Points:
1. Sanskrit Mastery: Muslim scholars and Sufis mastered Sanskrit to translate sacred Hindu texts like the Vedas, Ramayana, and Mahabharata into Persian and Arabic.
2. Interfaith Harmony: Their efforts aimed at building understanding between religions and promoting peace, tolerance, and mutual respect across faiths۔
3. Value of Languages: Linguistic knowledge was seen as a bridge to access wisdom, culture, and religious traditions of other communities, fostering intellectual and spiritual dialogue.
4. Modern Neglect: The tradition of learning Sanskrit has faded in contemporary religious institutions, and there is a strong need to revive it for sustaining interreligious and social harmony.
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One of the greatest features of the world is linguistic diversity. Languages play a central role in understanding, preserving, and passing on the cultures, civilizations, and histories of nations. It is estimated that around 7,000 languages are spoken in the world today. Each language is a precious thread in the fabric of human intellectual development, cultural evolution, and social harmony.
Languages are reflections of culture, guardians of knowledge and wisdom, protectors of historical consciousness, and symbols of social identity. Every language carries a whole world within it — through which we can understand a nation’s traditions, beliefs, literature, music, and way of life.
In truth, linguistic diversity is not only natural but also a sign of Divine wisdom. Different languages are meant to be sources of beauty, variety, and mercy among humans—not of hatred and division.
We must remember that knowledge of different languages gives us access to global literature, philosophy, religions, and scientific research. A multilingual person can understand different nations and cultures better, which promotes world peace and mutual respect. Language skills are essential in business, diplomacy, tourism, and international relations. Every language’s words and idioms reflect unique ways of thinking, which nurture human creativity.
From a religious point of view, Islam also emphasizes respect for languages. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ appointed several Companions who knew different languages to build relationships with other nations. For instance, Hazrat Zaid bin Thabit (RA) was instructed to learn Hebrew to understand the letters and books of the Jews.
Thus, linguistic diversity is a great asset to humanity. Every language is a representative of human intellectual heritage and cultural consciousness. It should be seen as a blessing, not a burden, and efforts must be made to preserve it for future generations.
Prof. Akhtarul Wasey rightly said:
“Languages have no religion, but every religion needs a language.”
Truly, linguistic diversity opens the doors to knowledge, research, and understanding other religions and civilizations. Those individuals have always been respected who, along with their own language and literature, also learned the languages and cultures of other faiths and nations. This enables direct study of other religions and eliminates misunderstandings, leading to peace, tolerance, and unity.
India and Linguistic Diversity
India is a land of linguistic and cultural plurality. It has always been a cradle of many civilizations, races, religions, and languages. Language changes every few kilometers in India — in pronunciation, words, and expressions — reflecting the richness of Indian diversity. This is not just a historical fact, but a living cultural legacy.
The 8th Schedule of the Indian Constitution lists 22 officially recognized languages including Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Sanskrit, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Punjabi, etc.
This diversity is vital for cultural development, national unity, and India’s global image. We must take pride in our languages and work to learn and preserve them.
In this context, Muslim scholars and Sufi saints of India also played a remarkable role. Many of them learned the Sanskrit language, studied Hindu scriptures, translated them, and wrote comparative religious studies. Their goal was to foster social harmony, religious understanding, and cultural unity.
By studying Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit, these Muslim scholars helped reduce misunderstandings, and promoted peaceful coexistence.
Notable Muslim Scholars Who Knew Sanskrit:
1. Abu Rayhan Al-Biruni
One of the earliest Muslim scholars to learn Sanskrit. He lived with Hindu priests and monks in India, learned Sanskrit (a secretive language at the time), and wrote the famous book “Tahqiq Ma lil-Hind” (Research on India), which is the first Arabic book on Hindu religion and philosophy. It introduced the Arab world to Indian culture.
2. Abdur Rahim Khan-i-Khanan
A Mughal noble and poet who knew several languages including Sanskrit and Hindi. His Hindi couplets (dohas) reflect Indian traditions, Hindu-Muslim unity, Sufi spirituality, and moral values. His writings transcend religious divides and emphasize shared human values.
3. Abu’l Faiz Faizi
A renowned scholar and poet of the Mughal period. He mastered Sanskrit and translated Hindu texts like Mahabharata, Atharvaveda, Lilavati, and others into Persian.
4. Abu’l Fazl Allami
Historian and author of “Ain-e-Akbari”. He had some knowledge of Sanskrit and studied Hindu religion, which is evident in parts of his book where he discusses Hindu beliefs and customs.
5. Mulla Abdul Qadir Badayuni
A well-known historian and linguist of Akbar’s court. He knew Sanskrit well and translated three major Hindu texts — Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Atharvaveda — into Persian under royal command.
6. Dara Shikoh
The Mughal prince and Sufi thinker. He was fluent in Persian and a scholar of Sanskrit. He translated the Upanishads into Persian under the title “Sirr-e-Akbar” (The Great Secret), believing that Hindu and Islamic spirituality shared common truths.
7. Fathullah Shirazi
A scholar from Iran who migrated to India and lived during Akbar’s time. He learned Sanskrit and contributed to the translation of Hindu scriptures like Mahabharata into Persian.
These scholars not only translated Sanskrit texts into Persian but also preserved Hindu philosophy for Muslim readers. They built bridges between Vedanta and Sufism, between Islamic and Indian civilizations.
Their efforts were not just acts of linguistic skill, but signs of broad-mindedness, intellectual tolerance, and interfaith dialogue. They strengthened the roots of composite Indian culture.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, the noble tradition of learning Sanskrit and other languages among Muslim scholars has faded today. There is a need to revive this legacy.
Madrassas should consider teaching Hindi and Sanskrit, so that young scholars can understand the faith and culture of their fellow citizens. If we want to study Hindu scriptures, we must learn Sanskrit. Historically, Muslim scholars have always supported the learning of languages.
It is a fact that there was a time when Muslim scholars and Sufi saints actively studied Sanskrit to promote harmony in society. But now, religious institutions and spiritual centers show a lack of interest in this valuable tradition — which is deeply unfortunate.
URL: https://www.newageislam.com/interfaith-dialogue/muslim-scholars-sufis-sanskrit/d/136077
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