Abu al-Fadail Ibn al-Muzaffar al-Razi
- Died
- 638 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu al-Fadail Ibn al-Muzaffar al-Razi (d. after 630 AH / 1233 CE) was a Hanafi jurist, Quranic exegete, and man of letters known for his critical commentary Mabahith al-Tafsir and his treatise Hujaj al-Quran.
Identity and Education
His full name is Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad al-Muzaffar ibn al-Mukhtar al-Razi, also recorded in biographical sources as Ahmad ibn al-Muzaffar ibn al-Mukhtar al-Razi. He was given the honorific title Badr al-Din and was known by the kunyas Abu al-Fadail, Abu al-Abbas, and Abu Bakr. Affiliated with the Hanafi school of jurisprudence, his scholarly activity spanned Quranic exegesis, hadith, Islamic law, Arabic language, literature, and Sufism. In the course of his education, he visited Damascus, where he heard hadith from Abu al-Yumn al-Kindi and others.
Career, Travels, and Students
While in Damascus, he delivered public lectures on Quranic exegesis from the pulpit of its grand mosque. He later departed for the lands of Rum (Anatolia), traveling via Aleppo. In Rum, he was appointed to the judiciary in some of its regions and engaged in teaching. Among his students was Jamshid ibn Yahudha, to whom he granted a formal certification (ijazah) in Rabi al-Awwal 630 AH at the conclusion of his exegesis treatise, as well as Abu al-Fath ibn al-Saffar, who transmitted his poetry.
Scholarly Standing
Biographers praised him as an accomplished scholar of exegesis and hadith, a refined litterateur, and a capable poet. In Quranic studies, his Mabahith al-Tafsir offered critical glosses and corrective discussions on al-Kashf wa-l-Bayan by Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi, examining theological, linguistic, and interpretive difficulties across seventy Quranic chapters. He also composed literary maqamat in twelve assemblies dedicated to Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Shahrazuri.
Death
Biographical sources state that he died after 630 AH (1233 CE), while other accounts place his death after 631 AH (1234 CE), in 631 AH, or around 638 AH (1240 CE).
Answer updated
List of Works
Mabahith al-Tafsir (Inquiries of Exegesis) is a critical Quranic commentary treatise consisting of glosses, corrections, and critical discussions on al-Kashf wa-l-Bayan by Abu Ishaq al-Tha'labi. Arranged generally according to the standard sequence of Quranic chapters, it directly cites and scrutinizes passages from al-Tha'labi's work to expand upon meanings and address theological and interpretive difficulties across seventy surahs.
Hujaj al-Quran (The Proofs of the Quran), also known by the fuller title Hujaj al-Quran li-Jami' al-Milal wa-l-Adyan, is a concise treatise in Quranic exegesis (tafsir) and Quranic sciences. It focuses on addressing arguments as well as rational and textual proofs drawn directly from the Quran.