Fakhr al-Din al-Razi
Ash'arite theologian, philosopher and Quran commentator, author of the tafsir “Mafatih al-ghayb”; worked in Khwarazm, Transoxiana and Herat.
- Occupation:
- Religious figure, Scientist
- Real name:
- Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Umar ibn al-Husayn al-Razi
- Nickname:
- Imam Razi, Ibn al-Khatib
- Born:
- c. 1149 — 1210
- Father:
- Ziyovuddin Umar
Biography
The full name of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi was Abu Abd Allah Muhammad ibn Umar ibn al-Husayn. He was born in 1149 or 1150 in Ray, near present-day Tehran, which gave him the nisba “al-Razi”. His family had ties to Tabaristan and traced its origins to Mecca. His father, Diya al-Din Umar, was a preacher (khatib) of Ray and a Shafi'i scholar, and the son was sometimes called “Ibn al-Khatib”.
He received his first education from his father, then studied philosophy at Maragha with Majd al-Din al-Jili; in Nishapur he came to know the works of al-Farabi and Ibn Sina. Later he travelled through Khwarazm, Transoxiana and Khorasan. In Khwarazm his debates with Mu'tazilite scholars led to unrest and he had to return to Ray, while in Bukhara his disputations with Hanafi jurists and theologians won him wide admiration. At the request of the Khwarazmshah Ala al-Din Tekish he wrote “Jami' al-ulum”, a work on the classification of the sciences.
From 1197 he drew close to the court of the Ghurids and became a companion of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din. In 1203 (AH 600) he settled in Herat, where a madrasa was built for him, he taught more than three hundred students and he became known by the title Shaykh al-Islam. He was also a celebrated preacher, and followers of different schools came to his gatherings to question him and debate.
His greatest work is the multi-volume Quran commentary “Mafatih al-ghayb” (“Keys to the Unseen”), later also called “al-Tafsir al-kabir” (“The Great Commentary”). He was an original commentator on, and critic of, the philosophy of Ibn Sina: in “Sharh al-Isharat”, “al-Mabahith al-mashriqiyya” and “al-Matalib al-aliya” he sought to bring kalam and philosophy closer together. On jurisprudence he wrote “al-Mahsul”.
Al-Razi is also known for his view of a plurality of worlds: he held that beyond this world lies a void in which God could create many worlds, thereby moving away from the geocentric picture.
Fakhr al-Din al-Razi died in Herat on 1 Shawwal 606 AH, equivalent to 29 March 1210, and was buried near the village of Muzdahan outside the city. Some sources say he was poisoned by the Karramiyya, but this is not established. His books were taught in Transoxiana as well, and his tomb in Herat is still venerated.
Career
- Khwarazmian EmpireCourt scholar
Life path
- 1149Birth
Born in Ray into the family of a preacher; some sources give 1150.
- Early yearsStudies and travels
Studied with his father and, at Maragha, with Majd al-Din al-Jili; in Nishapur he encountered the works of al-Farabi and Ibn Sina.
- Before 1197In Khwarazm and Transoxiana
Debated with the Mu'tazilites in Khwarazm and with Hanafi scholars in Bukhara.
- 1197Closeness to the Ghurid court
Became a companion of Sultan Ghiyath al-Din.
- 1203Settles in Herat
A madrasa was built for him in Herat, where he taught and preached under the title Shaykh al-Islam.
- 1203–1210Last years in Herat
Worked on “Mafatih al-ghayb” and other books and trained pupils; in his final years the city came under the Khwarazmshahs.
- 1210Death
Died in Herat and was buried near the village of Muzdahan.
Works
- “Mafatih al-ghayb” (“al-Tafsir al-kabir”)Quran commentary
A multi-volume commentary on the Quran containing extensive theological and philosophical discussion.
- “al-Mabahith al-mashriqiyya” (“Eastern Studies”)Philosophical work
A major philosophical work on metaphysics and the natural sciences.
- “al-Matalib al-aliya” (“The Higher Issues”)Philosophical and theological work
A multi-volume work on questions of theology and philosophy.
- “Sharh al-Isharat wa-l-tanbihat”Commentary
A commentary on Ibn Sina's “Pointers and Reminders”.
- “al-Mulakhkhas fi l-hikma wa-l-mantiq”Philosophical work
A concise exposition of philosophy and logic.
- “al-Mahsul fi usul al-fiqh”Jurisprudence
A work on the principles of Shafi'i jurisprudence.
- “Jami' al-ulum” (“Collection of Sciences”)Classification of sciences
Written at the request of the Khwarazmshah Tekish; an encyclopaedic guide to about sixty sciences.
Legacy
Al-Razi is remembered as one of the thinkers who brought kalam and philosophy closer together and critically reworked the teaching of Ibn Sina. His “Mafatih al-ghayb” remained among the most widely read Quran commentaries in later centuries. His pupils included Athir al-Din al-Abhari, and his works were taught in the madrasas of Transoxiana.
Era: Late 12th – early 13th century; the age of the Seljuks, Ghurids and Khwarazmshahs- Settled in Herat and began teaching in the madrasa built for him (1203)
- Died in Herat (1210)