Imam Fakhruddin Razi, a Great Theologian, Revivalist and the Author of Tafsir-e-Kabir, a Legendary Exegetic Book Renowned For Its Rational Sciences
By
Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi, New Age Islam
17 March
2022
Some
Glimpses of the Encyclopaedic Personality of Islam, Imam Fakhruddin Razi
Important
Points:
1. That Ibn
Taimiyyah has accused Imam Razi of proposing alcohol to Khwarazmshah Sultan
Alauddin Muhammad Ibn Takush has been refuted by Imam Subki in Tabaqat.
2. The
opponents had to accept that Imam Razi possessed exceptional argumentative and
reasoning abilities.
3. Although
Imam Razi admired Avicenna, he differed with him on a few grounds, and Tusi and
Mulla Sadra Shirazi both refuted him in Avicenna's favour.
4. Imam Razi's
declaration that the real Imam after Allah's Messenger [peace be upon him] was
Hazrat Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, and lastly Mawla Ali proves he was
not a Shia.
5. Imam Razi
was finally poisoned by an adherent of the Karramiyya sect.
------
Abu Abd
Allah, Abu al-Fadl Muhammad Ibn Umar al-Razi (d.606/1209), well-known as Imam
Razi, Fakhruddin Razi or Sultan of the Theologians, is one of the greatest
exponents of Islam of all ages and is rightly regarded as the Hujjat al-Islam,
the proof of Islam. This encyclopaedic
personality outperformed his contemporaries in the domains of religion, philosophy,
jurisprudence, history, mathematics, astronomy, medicine, chemistry, physics,
cosmology, ontology, literature, and Quran exegesis. Neither orientalists nor
Muslim scholars have paid him the respect he deserves so far. Al-Tafsir
al-Kabir, his magnum opus, is well-known among Islamic scholars and Ulama, as
are other notable works such as al-Muhassal and Lubab al-Ishaarat. He was given
the title of Shaykh al-Islam for his knowledge and scholarship, and a vast
number of pupils and admirers gathered around him, including kings, emperors,
scholarly judges, and Sufis. Despite the fact that his prolixity and scholarly
reasoning were sometimes challenged, he was largely considered as the reviver
of Islam in his century.
Imam Razi
was born in Rayy-Jibal to a Shafi'ite and Ash'arite family. His father, Ziya
al-Din Umar, also known as Khatib al-Rayy, taught him, and Imam Razi was given
the title of Ibn [the son of] Khatib al-Rayy. Imam Razi travelled to Bukhara,
Khwarazm, and Mawara al-Nahr (Transoxiana) after mastering philosophy, Kalam,
and other Islamic sciences, and held talks with local savants who were
astonished by his recall, forceful eloquence, and logical arguments, but forced
him to leave their cities.
Imam Razi
in his early years was probably filled with trials and tribulations, and
according to Ibn al-Qifti, he fell ill and spent his time in a sad plight at
some unknown madrasah in Bukhara. Some of his friends, on the other hand,
assisted him by collecting Zakat from their fellow traders.
Imam Razi
returned from Khwarazm to Rayy, according to Ibn Khallikan, and stayed with a
wealthy, skilled physician with two daughters. The physician married his
daughters to two sons of Imam Razi and, upon his death, handed the entire
estate to the Imam's sons, who became extremely wealthy, an unbelievable
assertion. Al-Qifti's statement seems more credible when he claims that Imam
Razi travelled from Bukhara to Khurasan, where he met the famed Khwarazm Shah
Muhammad Ibn Takush, who made him his partner and favoured him with authority
and rank. Imam Razi eventually settled in Herat, acquired land, and had
children.
Imam Razi
excelled his contemporaries in both religious and worldly sciences. The works
of Muhammad Ibn Zakariyya al-Razi, al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, and Imam Ghazali
inspired him immensely in philosophy. Though he revered Ibn Sina (commonly
known as Avicenna in the West and was named by his students and followers as
“Al Shaikh Al Ra'ees” or the master wise man), as seen by his commentary on
Avicenna’s books, he disagreed with Avicenna on certain points. Nasir al-Din
al-Tusi and Mulla Sadra al-Din Shirazi both refuted the charges brought by him
against Avicenna. (Nasir al-Din Tusi, Sharh al-Isharat al-Haidari, Tihran, p.2,
Sharh Uyun al-Hikmah)
Imam Razi,
a devout Shafi'ite scholar, never forgives his predecessors if their arguments
or beliefs are in any way incompatible with Islam. As a polemicist, he frequently wins arguments
due to his eloquence and grasp of the language. On his score, his opponents are
no less vulnerable. In his dedication to Aristotle, Mulla Sadra, for example,
overlooks the fact that Aristotle's Theology is an apocryphal work that is
incorrectly attributed to Aristotle. In his blind imitation, Mulla Sadra’s
praising expressions about Aristotle’s devotion, ascetic tendencies, and mystic
exercises only surprise the readers since he ignores Avicenna’s doubt about
Aristotle's Theology. He could have avoided the grave blunder he unwittingly
made if he had remembered Avicenna's criticism.
Imam Razi's
precise and simply written writings on many sciences have been of immense
benefit to the Ummah. His rational and simple expositions in Arabic and Persian
popularised philosophy, Kalam, Mantiq, Fiqh, and Usul Fiqh. Despite being
attacked for “having everything in it except Tafsir,” his Tafsir-e-Kabir helped
people to appreciate many doctrines of Mu'tazilites, philosophers, and other
Muslim sects, which were in fact in conflict with our Faith.
It is for
this reason that when Qazi al-Quzat Abu Hasan Ali Subki heard Ibn Taimiyyah
criticize Tafsir-e-Kabir for "having everything in it except Tafsir,"
he remarked, “The matter is not like this, in fact, his work contains
everything combined with Tafsir.” (Salah al-Din, al-Wafi, vol.4, p.254)
The
Batinites and Qaramatians were envious of his ever-increasing renown and
popularity. The Qaramatians even claimed that he was engaged in the
assassination of his great benefactor, Sultan Shihab al-Din Ghori. It was
Gakkhar who killed Sultan Shihab al-Din on his route from Lahore to Ghazna,
near modern Rawalpindi. The Qaramatians, who despised Imam Razi for questioning
their ideas, accused him of being involved in a plot that resulted in Sultan’s
execution. Slaves who adored their departed Sultan became enraged and
threatened to harm him. Imam Razi, however, received the information and
sneaked away to the vizier Mu'ayyaid al-Mulk, who arranged for him to be
escorted to a secure location.
It's hardly
unexpected that al-Dhahabi and Abu Shama recorded certain blasphemous
statements attributed to Imam Razi. He was accused of stating, "Said
Muhammad of Arabia, and said Muhammad of Rayy," comparing his authority to
that of the Holy Prophet. (Abu Shamah, Tarajim Rijal al-Qarnain ed. Zahid
al-Kawthari, Cairo, 1366/1937, p.68; al-Dhahabi, Mizan al-I’tidal, vol.2,
p.224)
This is a
false accusation made by his opponents, who also accused him of betraying
authentic Islam by praising Aristotle and other philosophers. Imam Razi refers
to the Holy Prophet by his honorific phrases, 'Sahib al-Shariah and Sahib
al-Shara', the Chief of the Faith, in his writings such as Kitab al-Nafs wa
al-Ruh. (Imam Razi, Kitab al-Nafs wa al-Ruh, MS, foll. 260b, 262b, 267b)
Despite his
rational attitude and extensive reasoning, he used to declare, "The only
one who keeps to the religion of the forefathers [Salaf] is
successful." (Ibn al-Sa’I, op. cit.
9, p.307, Ibn al-Ahtir, al-Kamir, 12, p.63)
His Wasiyat,
which he dictated just before his death, demonstrates that he was above such
accusations, and even if they are taken at face value, his final words refute
all of them and declare his real faith in Islam and the Holy Prophet: “I
believe in Islam and follow Muhammad, his companions, and his family [peace be
upon them]. Surely, the Sublime Quran is my motto, and the Prophet's Sunnah is
my highway, and I rely and depend on these two.” (Ibn al-Sa’I, op. cit. 9,
p.307, Ibn al-Ahtir, al-Kamir, 12, p.63)
The most
serious charge levelled against him by his critics is that Imam Razi sows
doubts and advances his opponents' arguments while failing to respond. Salah
al-Din contends that, despite his forceful comments of philosophers'
reservations and frequent references to them in his writings, he weakened the
principles of their theories by counter-arguments, according to some of his
contemporaneous intellectuals. For example, he mentions philosophers'
scepticism about the existence of Allah Almighty, lists their strong proofs
based on their principles, and then adds:
“All of
this is known to us. But we are certain that Allah exists, and we are unsure as
to what His Essence is. If His Existence and His Essence were the same, we
would have known His Existence in one manner and not known it in another, for
nothing can be known and not known in the same way. This is unquestionably certain."
So take a look at this evidence. How powerful, precise, and clear it is, and
how expertly his arguments dismantled what they had constructed.” (al-Wafi bil
Wafayat, vol. 4, p.252)
Ibn
Taimiyyah has accused Imam Razi of innovation [bid’at] of apparently preaching
idol and star-worship because Imam Razi had written a book namely ‘Al-Sirr
al-Maktum fi al-Sihr wa Mukhatabt al-Nujum. [Ibn Taimiyah, Majmu’ah al-Rasail
al-Kubra]
Ibn
Taimiyyah further says that Imam Razi wrote this book for the mother of Sultan
Muhammad Ibn Takush Khwarazmshah, the great ruler of the time. It is very
strange that without looking into the book itself, savants like Ibn Taimiyyah
have sometimes expressed their views about it. Some have denied totally that
the book was written by Imam Razi and some have argued that the book does not
deal with the prohibited sorcery.
Ibn Hajar
Asqalani holds, “his book ‘al-Sirr al-Maktum fi Mukhatabat al-Nujum’ is a clear
sorcery. It is expected, Allah willing, that he expressed his Tawbah (repentance)
after writing it.” [Ibn Hajar, Lisan al-Mizan, Egypt, Vol.4,p.426)
In fact,
the book is entitled ‘al-Sirr al-Maktum fi Asrar al-Nujum’ (the hidden secrets
on the mystics of stars), but the book avoids all those points which are
condemned by the Sharia. The author, Imam Razi himself declared by saying,
أما بعد فهذا كتاب
يجمع فيه ما وصل إلينا من علم الطلسمات والسحريات والعزائم ودعوة الكواكب مع
البتري عن كل ما يخالف الدين وسلم اليقين والتكلان على احسان الرحمان
“This book
compiles what has been passed down to us from the knowledge of talismans,
magic, incantations, and planetary supplications, as well as abstaining from
everything that opposes the faith, and the peace of certainty and reliance on
the generosity of the Most Merciful.” (Imam Razi, Al-Sirr al-Makhtum fi Asrar
al-Nujum, Arabic edition, p.3)
Ibn
Taimiyyah has accused Imam Razi of proposing alcohol [Khamr] to Khwarazmshah
Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Ibn Takush. He further claims that Imam Razi allowed
the King to worship stars and consume wine, both of which are forbidden in
Islam. However, it's impossible to imagine how Imam Razi, a devoted Muslim,
could declare illegal acts to be legal.
In his
Tabaqat, Al-Subki refutes this accusation, arguing that Imam Razi cannot
compose a book like 'Kitab al-Sirr al-Maktum fi Mukhatabat al-Shamsh wa
al-Nujum.' The truth about the book has already been expressed. Unfortunately,
we have not received 'Al-Ikhtibarat al-Ala'iyyah,' which would have finally
told the storey of his suggested wine. [Ibn Hajar, Lisan al-Mizan, vol.4,
p.427/ Ibn Kathir, Bidayah 13, p.34]
Imam Razi
defiantly rejected the false ideas of the deviant sects at Rayy. Muhammad b.
Hasan, the Ismaili Shia leader at the time in Almut, dispatched an emissary to
intimidate and warn the Imam. This emissary stayed in the Imam's company as a
devout disciple for a few months before leaping over him with his dagger and
leaving him only on the condition that he would not openly criticise Ismailite
doctrines, and that he would receive a handsome annual remuneration, or else he
would receive a dagger-wound that would cause his death. The Imam reluctantly
accepted the deal in order to avoid death, and he never openly criticised
Ismailite doctrines and views after that. [S.M. Baqir Sabzwari, Muqaddimah
al-Risalah al-Kamaliyah, also cited in Imam Razi’s Ilm al-Akhlaq, Introduction
and Commentary by M. Saghir Hasan Ma’sumi]
Despite the
fact that the Ismailite chief Abu al-Fadl paid him the annual sum on behalf of
the Ismailities, Imam Razi felt sad and powerless every time this unpleasant
sum arrived, and he trembled at the memory of the incident. Perhaps this
emolument was imposed on him solely to remind him of the warning. The Imam left
Rayy in disgust and went off for Khurasan.
Imam Razi
was a skilled orator who used logic and forceful eloquence to persuade his
opponents. They all believe that he possessed exceptional argumentative and
reasoning abilities. His writings vividly demonstrate his great knowledge of
philosophy, Kalam, Usul al-Fiqh, Tafsir, and other fields of human studies.
Despite his criticism of the Mutazalites' viewpoints, he admires al-Tafsir of
Abu Muslim Mu'tazili. He was an Ash'arite by faith but sometimes expressed his
criticism of some doctrines of Imam Abul Hasan Ash'ary. Despite being an outspoken
opponent of the Shias and Ismailis, he occasionally speaks out in an amicable
manner, as the following couplets vividly demonstrate:
إذا كانت الأشياء من الله قدرت ........فقد قام عذر
الروافض في السب
إذا كان رب العرش في حكمه قضى ......عليهم بهذا فالعتاب
على الرب
“If the
things are said to have been destined by Allah, the Rawafidh may be excused for
abusing [the Sahabah]. When the Lord of the ‘Arsh [Allah Almighty] has given
His decision against them, the charge [should] be brought against the Lord”.
(Imam Razi’s Ilm al-Akhlaq, an English translation of Imam Razi’s Kitab al-Nafs
wa al-Ruh wa Sharh Quwahuma, Introduction and Commentary by M. Saghir Hasan
Ma’sumi, p. 20)
Imam Razi's
declaration that the real Imam after Allah's Messenger [peace be upon him] was
Hazrat Abu Bakr, then 'Umar, then 'Uthman, and lastly Maula Ali proves he was
not a Shia. He further states that the Shias believe Ali b. Abi Talib [may
Allah bless him] is the rightful Imam after the Prophet. He defends the Ahlus
Sunnah wal Jama'at by asserting that it is a verified record [Mutawatir]
that Hazrat 'Ali did not oppose Abu Bakr in his bid for the caliphate. He would
have fought Abu Bakr if he had not accepted him as a rightful Imam. If he
believed the Khilafat was his right but did not fight, he submitted to
transgression, which was also a transgression, and a transgressor does not
deserve the Khilafat. After that, the Prophet says, "Follow Abu Bakr and
Umar after me." The Prophet would not have asked the people to obey them
if their Imamat had been a sin. [Imam Razi, Al-Masail al-Khamsin, p.385,
published by Muhiyuddin Sabir under the title ‘Majmuah al-Rasail]
According
to Imam Razi, it is obligatory to respect the Prophet's Companions and refrain
from abusing or criticising them, as stated in the Quranic verse:
“And
leading everyone, the first are the Muhajirs [the immigrants] and the Ansar
[those who helped the immigrants], and those who followed them with virtue –
Allah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him, and He has kept ready
for them Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide in it forever and ever;
this is the greatest success.” (9:100)
When one
considers this verse, one finds that all of the people who Allah are pleased
with are the Sahaba, the companions of the holy Prophet. Hence it is not
permissible for anyone to abuse or defame any Sahabi or companion. (Allah is
pleased with them)
Ibn Hajar
al-Asqalani writes, “In his al-Iksir fi ‘Ilm al-tafsir al-Najm al-Tawfi says:
“I have not seen any Tafsir containing most of the science of exegesis better
than the book of al-Qurtubi and that of Imam Fakhruddin Razi”. He further says,
“By my life, I do not find any defect in him. It is true that he explains the
arguments of his opponents with all the force and vigour at his disposal and
expresses his own favourite view in a straight and simple way. Perhaps, this is
because of the fact that after he finishes with the exposition and refers to
his own view briefly, as the psychological faculties the follow the corporeal
faculties”. [Ibn Hajar, Lisan al-Mizan, first edition, Hyderabad, 1330 H.
Vol.4, p.42B/ Imam Razi’s Ilm al-Akhlaq, an English translation of Imam Razi’s
Kitab al-Nafs wa al-Ruh wa Sharh Quwahuma, Introduction and Commentary by M.
Saghir Hasan Ma’sumi, p. 20)
The
adherents of the Karramiyya sect never spared him. They harmed Imam Razi in any
way they could whenever they had the opportunity to abuse and attack him. They
once stoned him in the pulpit while he was preaching eloquently. On such a
critical occasion, he preached the following verse from the pulpit:
“A man is
disrespected and dishonoured as long as he is alive. But it is only when he is
lost that the huge misfortune is realised.”
They even
accused Imam Razi of being involved in the assassination of Sultan Shihab
al-Din Ghori. They allegedly succeeded in hiring a man who poisoned him in a
drink that he served to the Imam, who drank it and died due to the effect of
the poison. [Introduction to Al-Risalah al-Kamaliyah]
Bibliography
1. Ibn Taimiyah, Majmu’ah al-Rasail al-Kubra
2. Ibn Hajar, Lisan al-Mizan
3. Imam Razi, Kitab al-Nafs wa al-Ruh
4. Abu Shamah, Tarajim Rijal al-Qarnain
5. Salah al-Din, al-Wafi
6. Nasir al-Din Tusi, Sharh al-Isharat
al-Haidari
7. S.M. Baqir Sabzwari, Muqaddimah al-Risalah
al-Kamaliyah
8. Imam Razi, Al-Masail al-Khamsin
9. Introduction to Al-Risalah al-Kamaliyah
10.
Originally, Imam Razi’s Ilm al-Akhlaq, an English translation of Imam Razi’s
Kitab al-Nafs wa al-Ruh wa Sharh Quwahuma, Introduction and Commentary by
Professor M. Saghir Hasan Ma’sumi.
-----
A
regular Columnist with NewAgeIslam.com, Ghulam Ghaus Siddiqi Dehlvi is an Alim
and Fazil (Classical Islamic scholar) with a Sufi background and
English-Arabic-Urdu Translator.
New Age Islam, Islam
Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism