Muhammad al-Araj
- Died
- 925 AH
- Born in
- -
Abu al-Fadl Muhammad al-Araj (d. 925 AH / 1519 CE) was an Islamic scholar and writer on governance, best known for his treatise on statecraft and political jurisprudence, Tahrir al-Suluk fi Tadbir al-Muluk (The Elaboration of Conduct in the Governance of Kings) .
Scholarly Contribution and Governance Treatise
Al-Araj composed Tahrir al-Suluk fi Tadbir al-Muluk as a manual drawn from earlier literature on political administration (al-siyasah al-shar'iyyah), intending it as a resource for rulers and public administrators tasked with managing the affairs of the community .
He organized the work into three primary divisions:
- An introduction (muqaddimah) addressing the personal qualities required of a ruler, detailing the flaws and vices that must be abandoned and the virtues and praiseworthy characteristics that must be cultivated .
- A central section (wasitah) dedicated to administrative ordinances (al-ahkam al-sultaniyyah) and faith-based governance (al-siyasat al-diniyyah) required when presiding over the redress of grievances (al-nazar fi al-mazalim) .
- A concluding section (khatimah) explaining the judicial standards and actions necessary when investigating offenses, including the application of legal penalties (hudud) and discretionary punishments (ta'zirat) .
While some biographical and bibliographical registers have recorded variants regarding the attribution of Tahrir al-Suluk fi Tadbir al-Muluk—associating it with figures such as Ibn Abi Qusaybah al-Ghazzali or Ali ibn Muhammad al-Mujahidi—the colophon of the treatise explicitly names Abu al-Fadl Muhammad al-Araj as its author . Modern scholarship published the work under al-Araj's name, edited by Fuad Abd al-Mun'im Ahmad in Alexandria in 1982 .
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List of Works
Tahrir al-Suluk fi Tadbir al-Muluk (The Elaboration of Conduct in the Governance of Kings) is a treatise on Islamic political governance (siyasah shar'iyyah) and the administration of justice. Drawing on established literature in governance, it serves as a guide for rulers and officials tasked with public affairs and justice.