Naqd Usul al-Aqlaniyyin
- Author died
- 1443 AH
- Editions
- Dār ‘Ulūm al-Sunnah
Naqd Usul al-Aqlaniyyin (Critique of the Foundations of the Rationalists) is a theological treatise by the Saudi author Sulayman al-Kharashi (d. 1443 AH / 2021 CE), examining the role of reason (ʿaql) in Islam and refuting intellectual currents that prioritize rational speculation over scriptural revelation.
Background and Purpose
Sulayman ibn Salih al-Kharashi authored the treatise in Riyadh in 1421 AH (2000–2001 CE), and it was published by Dar ʿUlum al-Sunnah. In the preface, he noted that his motivation was to counter the growing infatuation among certain Muslim youth with rationalist concepts, which led them to elevate human intellect over Quranic and Prophetic texts.
He also sought to address the claim that traditional adherents of the text neglect the intellect entirely, emphasizing that the classical Salafi approach maintains an intermediate position that neither dismisses reason nor allows it to overstep into metaphysical matters beyond its capacity.
Structure and Content
The work is organized around several key inquiries concerning human reason, its definitions, its anatomical and metaphysical locus, and Islamic perspectives on its limits:
- Concept and Definitions of Reason: The author explores the usage of the term ʿaql in the Prophetic hadith and compiles definitions from classical Sunni scholars such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Qadi Abu Ya'la, and Abu al-Qasim al-Isfahani, asserting that reason is an innate faculty (gharīzah) created by God rather than an acquired trait.
- Locus of the Intellect: The book reviews scholarly discussions regarding whether the intellect resides primarily in the heart or the brain.
- Critique of Rationalist Foundations: The central polemical section dismantles the argument that reason must be given precedence over revelation on the premise that revelation is only known and validated through reason.
In structuring his responses to rationalist claims, al-Kharashi drew directly upon classical Sunni literature, primarily summarizing the arguments formulated by Ibn Taymiyyah in his work Darʾ Taʿāruḍ al-ʿAql wa-al-Naql (Averting the Conflict of Reason and Revelation).
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