Ahmad ibn Sahl al-Razi

Ahmad ibn Sahl al-Razi (d. c. 325 AH / 937 CE) was an early Zaydi historian and transmitter known for his monograph Akhbar Fakh wa-khabar Yahya ibn Abd Allah wa-akhihi Idris ibn Abd Allah (The Reports of Fakh and the Account of Yahya ibn Abd Allah and His Brother Idris ibn Abd Allah) Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah….

Life and Historical Context

Very little biographical information is preserved concerning al-Razi beyond what can be deduced from the study of his chains of transmission (asānīd) Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah…. He flourished across the second half of the third century AH (ninth century CE) and the first quarter of the fourth century AH (tenth century CE), making him roughly a generation older than Abu al-Faraj al-Isfahani Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah…. Al-Razi lived during the establishment of the Zaydi state in Daylam under the leadership of the imams al-Nasir li-l-Haqq al-Hasan al-Utrush (r. 284–304 AH / 897–916 CE) and al-Da'i al-Hasan ibn al-Qasim (r. 304–316 AH / 916–928 CE), and he directed his historical compilation toward the adherents of the Zaydi community established in that region Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah….

Scholarly Method and Sources

Al-Razi's historical writings fall within the early maqātil tradition of documenting Alid rebellions and their aftermath Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah…. In compiling his work on the Battle of Fakh and the subsequent movements of the brothers Yahya ibn Abd Allah and Idris ibn Abd Allah, he relied primarily on three early written sources: an account by the Alid writer al-Ja'fari (Abd Allah ibn Ibrahim), a collection compiled by al-Hasan ibn Abd al-Wahid al-Kufi on Talibid uprisings, and the historical transmissions of Ali ibn Muhammad al-Mada'ini mediated through Umar ibn Shabba Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah…+1. His compilation is also notable for preserving early doctrinal letters and political manifestos issued by early Zaydi figures articulating their historical mission and political vision Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah….

Transmission and Reception

Material transmitted by al-Razi served as an important source for subsequent Zaydi historiography Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah…+1. The contemporary Zaydi scholar Abu al-Abbas Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Hasani (d. 352 AH / 964 CE) cited reports directly on his authority in Kitab al-Masabih Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah…+1. The earliest surviving copy of al-Razi's monograph was preserved through a manuscript transcribed in 638 AH / 1240 CE by the Zaydi author Humayd ibn Ahmad al-Muhalli Akhbar Fakh wa Khabar Yah….