Al-Razi Rahimahullah
Scholar, Philosopher| Full Name | Muḥammad ibn ʿUmar ibn al-Ḥusayn ibn al-Ḥasan ibn ʿAlī al-Taymī al-Bakrī al-Rāzī |
|---|---|
| Kunya | Abū ʿAbdullāh |
| Birth | 1149 CE / 544 AH — Rayy, Persia (modern-day Iran) |
| Death | 1210 CE / 606 AH — Herat, Khurasan (modern-day Afghanistan) |
| Title | Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Imām of Kalam, Theologian, Philosopher, Mufassir |
| Position | Shāfiʿī jurist, Ashʿarī theologian, master of tafsīr and rational sciences |
| Notable Works | Al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr (Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb), Al-Maḥṣūl fī ʿIlm al-Uṣūl, Al-Arbaʿīn fī Uṣūl al-Dīn |
| Regions of Influence | Greater Persia, Khurasan, Transoxiana, Central Asia, Ottoman scholarly circles |
Life, Legacy, and Scholarship
Early Life and Education
Born in the city of Rayy (Persia) in 1149 CE (544 AH). His father, Ḍiyāʾ al-Dīn al-Makkī, was a jurist who taught him the Shāfiʿī school of law. Al-Rāzī also studied with Majd al-Dīn al-Jīlī and immersed himself in Qur’anic exegesis, theology, logic, philosophy, and the natural sciences.
Education and Teachers
Among his notable teachers were:
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His father, Ḍiyāʾ al-Dīn al-Makkī
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Majd al-Dīn al-Jīlī (Shāfiʿī jurist)
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Kamāl al-Dīn al-Simnānī (in philosophy and rational sciences)
He mastered the Ashʿarī creed and combined it with deep philosophical engagement.
Expertise and Works
Al-Rāzī’s scholarship covered tafsīr, theology, philosophy, medicine, and astronomy.
Key works include:
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Al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr (Mafātīḥ al-Ghayb) — a monumental Qur’anic commentary noted for theological and philosophical depth
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Al-Maḥṣūl fī ʿIlm al-Uṣūl — advanced work on legal theory
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Al-Arbaʿīn fī Uṣūl al-Dīn — on theological principles
His style integrated rigorous rational argumentation with textual evidence.
Famous For
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Writing one of the most comprehensive tafsīrs in Islamic history
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Defending Sunni orthodoxy (Ashʿarī creed) against Muʿtazilī, Ismāʿīlī, and falāsifah (philosophers)
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Bridging kalām theology with philosophical discourse
Character and Political Stance
Known for intellectual courage and willingness to debate across the Muslim world. He traveled widely, including to Khwarezm, Transoxiana, and Herat, engaging in public debates with scholars of various sects.
Famous Quote
“I have explored the ways of kalām and philosophy, yet I found them not quenching the thirst. The nearest way is to read the Qur’an and live by it.”
(Ibn Khallikān, Wafayāt al-Aʿyān, vol. 4, p. 250)
Legacy
Al-Rāzī’s influence extended beyond theology into Qur’anic studies, philosophy, and natural sciences. His Tafsīr al-Kabīr remains a key reference in Islamic exegesis. Though some criticized his heavy use of philosophy, his works shaped centuries of scholarship in both the Islamic East and Ottoman Empire.
Interesting Facts
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Mastered astronomy, medicine, and physics alongside Islamic sciences
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His tafsīr often includes extensive philosophical discussions before returning to the verse
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Was sometimes called Imām al-Mushakkikīn (“Leader of the Doubters”) by critics, not for disbelief but for his habit of presenting every possible objection before refuting it
References
- Ibn Khallikān, Wafayāt al-Aʿyān
- Al-Subkī, Ṭabaqāt al-Shāfiʿiyyah al-Kubrā
- Al-Safadī, Al-Wāfī bi’l-Wafayāt
- Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Al-Tafsīr al-Kabīr, Al-Maḥṣūl, Al-Arbaʿīn fī Uṣūl al-Dīn
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