al-Fakhr al-Razi
- Died
- 606 AH
- Born in
- Rayy
al-Fakhr al-Razi (544–606 AH / 1149–1210 CE; another report gives 543 AH) was an Ash'ari theologian, Shafi'i jurist, philosopher, and exegete from Rayy, widely recognized for his extensive Quranic commentary Mafatih al-Ghayb and his treatise on legal theory al-Mahsul.
Lineage and Early Life
His full name was Muhammad ibn Umar ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Hasan ibn Ali, bearing the kunyas Abu Abd Allah, Abu al-Ma'ali, and Abu al-Fadl, with the title Fakhr al-Din. Tracing his lineage to the companion Abu Bakr, his family originated from Tabaristan before settling in Rayy, where his father, Diya' al-Din Umar, served as the prominent local preacher; hence, he became known as Ibn Khatib al-Rayy ("the son of the preacher of Rayy"). He was born in Rayy in Ramadan 544 AH and received his foundational education in Islamic jurisprudence and theology directly from his father. He subsequently studied under Majd al-Din al-Jili and al-Kamal al-Simnani.
Travels and Public Career
Al-Razi traveled widely across eastern Islamic lands, journeying through Khwarazm, Transoxiana, and Khurasan. In Bamiyan within Ghur, he resided for several years under the patronage of Baha' al-Din Sam ibn Muhammad. He also gained substantial wealth and honor from the Ghurid sultan Shihab al-Din al-Ghuri in Ghazna and attained immense prestige at the court of the Khwarizmshah rulers, including Ala' al-Din Tekesh and his son Muhammad.
Beyond his royal ties, al-Razi was renowned for his public assemblies, delivering moving sermons in both Arabic and Persian that frequently brought him and his listeners to tears. The poet Ibn Unayn traveled to praise him in laudatory odes, and when al-Razi rode through cities, several hundred students and jurists would accompany him in his retinue. Among his prominent students were Taj al-Din al-Urmawi, Shams al-Din al-Khusrawshahi, and Ibrahim ibn Abi Bakr al-Isfahani.
Theological Debates and Standing
Al-Razi was considered a leading master of rational sciences, disputation, and dialectical theology, integrating rationalist philosophical inquiry with traditional Ash'ari dogma. His uncompromising theological polemics led to intense hostility with the Karramiyya, who engaged him in severe public disputes and traded accusations of heresy and unbelief. Among his later philosophical and theological undertakings was al-Matalib al-'Aliya, a multi-volume doctrinal work that remained incomplete before his death. Later biographers praised his intellect and syntheses, though some traditionists criticized his deep absorption in philosophy and astrological subjects.
Death
Al-Razi died in Herat on the day of Eid al-Fitr (1 Shawwal) in 606 AH / 1210 CE, at over sixty years of age, though other reports place his death in Dhu al-Qa'da or Dhu al-Hijja of the same year. Reports indicate that his demise was brought about by poison administered by his Karramiyya adversaries. In his final testament dictated to his student Ibrahim ibn Abi Bakr al-Isfahani, he expressed that after lifelong engagement with dialectical theology and philosophy, he found true peace only in the method of the Quran, affirming verses such as الرَّحْمَنُ عَلَى العَرْشِ اسْتوَى ("The Most Merciful rose over the Throne") and لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِ شَيْءٌ ("There is nothing like unto Him").
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List of Works
Itiqadat Firaq al-Muslimin wa al-Mushrikin (The Beliefs of the Sects of Muslims and Polytheists) is a heresiographical treatise. The work outlines the doctrinal positions, historical origins, and internal subdivisions of various Islamic sects, alongside non-Islamic religious communities and philosophical movements.
Maalim Usul al-Din (The Landmarks of the Principles of Religion), also known as al-Maalim fi Usul al-Din, is a concise treatise on Islamic theology (kalam). Classical bibliographies describe the work as covering five essential areas: the principles of religion, legal theory, substantive jurisprudence, juridical disagreement, and the etiquette of dialectical inquiry and disputation.
Mafatih al-Ghayb (Keys to the Unseen), also known as al-Tafsir al-Kabir (The Grand Commentary), is an extensive work of rational Quranic exegesis (tafsir bi-l-ra'y). It integrates linguistic analysis, theology, jurisprudence, and natural scientific inquiries into its comprehensive interpretation of the sacred text.
al-Mahsul fi Usul al-Fiqh (The Harvest in Legal Theory) is a foundational treatise on the principles of Islamic jurisprudence composed according to the method of the theologians (tariqat al-mutakallimin). It serves as a central synthesis that refines and organizes the core material of classical Islamic legal theory.