of faker al-din al-razi

274 Pages·2011·11.04 MB·English

THEOLOGY AIm TAFsm IN THE I'IAJOR \'10RKS
OF FAKER AL-DIN AL-RAZI
presented by
Yasin Cey1an
Thesis presented for the degree of Ph.D.
in the Faculty of Arts,
University of Edinburgh
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ABSTRACT
Fakhr aI-Din al-Razi was the most celebrated scholar
of the sixth Islamic century, famous throughout the Muslim
world as a philosopher, theologian and exegetisto However
despite this undisputed eminence his contribution to
Islamic thought has not yet been properly evaluated.
This thesis aims at exposing some of his ideas by a
systematic analysis of his thoughts as presented in his
major workso
This thesis first presents what little biographical
information we have for his life (Chapter I) and proceeds
to the study of his major work, his tafsir (Chapter II).
Then follows a detailed analysis of five major problems
which occupied al-Razi's mind throughout his scholarly
life: Creation (Chapter III), God's existence and Divine
Attributes (Chapter IV), Free Will and Predestination
(Chapter V), Prophethood (Chapter VI) and finally
Resurrection (Chapter VII). These topics are also major
issues which have concerned Islamic theologians in all
ages. . The thesis offers a brief conclusion in which
al-Razi's distinctive views on these issues are summed up.
ii
I would like to acknowledge my debt to my supervisors
Professor ",I. IvIontgomery ~'Iatt and Dr. !,I. V. r.:cDonald, ,{ho
gave generously of their time and offered valuable advice
throughout the preparation of this thesis. I should also
like to express my appreciation for the encouragement
and help received from Mr. J. R.
~~lalsh.
My thanks also go to the Turkish Hinistry of Education
for providing a scholarship which allowed me to pursue
my studies in Edinburgh University.
This thesis has been possible through the help and
encouragement of many of my colleagues and friends, in
r·1r.
particular I would like to mention I:Iuhammad al-Tasan
• •
who provided many of the microfilms of the manuscripts
used in this study, Dr. C. Ferrard and P. Sadgrove who
advised me on the English style of some portions of this
thesis and Dr. D. Straley who typed ito I would also like
to thank Miss I. Crawford, secretary of the Dept. of
Arabic, for the kindness and help she has given me
throughout my stay in Edinburgh.
iii
a-l_-:"~7:;
-~-~~,
3id2ya
3u.rhan al-Zarkashi, al-3urhan fi 'UIUm
:?isal Ibn al-Fisal f! l-:·:ilal
~az:::J.,
• • •
wa-l-A.h";-la:) wa-l-:Ti.h al •
Ibana al-Ash'ari, al-Ibana 'an usUl al-Diya~a.
e
Iqtis.a d
al-Razi, I' tiqadat :?iraq al-:·:uslimin
Ha-l-i:'Iushrikin.
Itqan
Jam'
Jami' al-~~ukhtasar
e
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Ibn ~__ l -_~ ... ~v hl·r ,~-a-~-- --V__-~ c...o-..~ ...-. -~.-J..l.-.-.. -. -T-.-, ------------
}ha'tvamd
•
iv
v
lei tab al-:Tafs
K. Luma' al-~sh'ari, Kitab al-Luma' fi I-Radd
'ala Ahl al-Zaygh wa-1-3ida'
IavTami ' al-Razi, LaIT2l:U' al-3ayyinat fi
T
Sharh Asma) Allah Ta' ala 1'Ta-l-Sifat
9 9
Lisan al- 'Asqalani, Lisan al-=·=izan
Lubab
al-Razi, al-Ha'alim fi Usul aI-Din
9
al-Razi, al-Ea bahi th al-l'·:ashriqiyya
B
!IIafatih al-Razi, r·1afatih al-Ghayb
• •
Tvlanaqib al-Razi, r:anaqi b aI-Imam al-Shafi' i
Ea.t alib al-Razi, al-natalib al-'Aliya
•
1ashkUbrizada, Mifta~ al-Sa'ada
1va-l-l·Tisbal1 al-Siyada fi at
=~awg.u«
al-'Uliim
al-Shahrastam, al-I =ilal
1·ra-l-~Tihal
e
......
Il
'=11-':'
'~ra-'"
......... ....- J J. ..
vi
TIu. ha.s.s al al-Razi, r.1u:tJ.a¥~al .;'. . f1dlr al-~,=utaqa::ldicin
vTa-1-==uta akhkhirin min 8.1- 'l'lar:a
~ a
wa-I-H. ukama 1
1'1unazarat al-Razi, Hunazarat Fakhr aI-Din
•
9
al-Razi fi 3ilad ma ':fara al-Nahr
a
-
:Tihayat al-Ijaz al-Razi, Nihayat al-Ijaz fi Jirayat
aI-I' jaz
N. Iqdam al-Shahrastani, Kitab Nihayat al-Iqdam
fi 'Ilm al-Kalam
iT. 'Uqill al-Razi, :Tihayat 2.1- 'Uqul fi Dirayat
al-Usul
•
Nujiim Ibn Taghri-Birdi, al-Nujum al-Zahira
fi Nulilk I-Tisr vTa-I-Qahira
e
al-Qurtubi, al-Jami' Ii-Ahkan al-0.uraan
~urtubi
• • •
Rawdat al-Khansari, Ra't-TQ.at al-Jannat fi
•
pJhwal al-'Ulama a wa-l-Sadat
e
al-Razi, al-Risala al-Kamaliyya fi
Sharh. al-Razi, Shar~ al-Isharat
T. abaqat al-Subki, ~abaqat al-Shafi'iyya
al-Kubra
al-ra bari, jami' al-32yan 'an =:a
~abari ~ ~lil
•
al-Quraan
vii
..... a h...... a- fu t al-Ghazali, 'rahafu t al-?2.1asifa
~
Tamhid al-Baqill~ni, T~d fi rtadd 'ala
•
.
al-Ilu' a ttila 1'Ta-l-:::?'2fida
l-~:~ulhida . .
wa-l-Kha-';'Tarij wa-I-Eu'tazila
Tarajim
al-Sadis wa l-Sabi'
Tarikh al-Qif~i, Tarikh al-Fukama)
Tawhid al-Razi, Risala fi
I-Taw~d
•
al-Jurjani
al-IL1.a t ta bi
o 0
Rummani
'Uyiln Ibn Abi Usaybi'a, 'UyITn al-Anba~
o
ltTafayat Ibn Khallikan, i:Tafayat al-;" 'yan
wa-PJlba~ Abna) aI-Zaman
al-Safadi, al-l:lafi bi-l-\:Tafayat
o
TA3LE OF
CO~TT31TTS
Abstract ii
Acknowledgements
i~i
Abbreviations iv
Introduction 1
Chapter I: Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's Life and His
orks
i,'[ 3
Fis Travels
9
His Scholarship and His Critics 12
His Students and Contemporaries 21
His Death 22
His vlorks 24
Chapter II: Fakhr aI-Din al-Razi's Approach to the
Qur'an 25
Al-Razi's Interpretation of Particular
i,'lords 28
Al-Razi's Skill in Reconciling Qur)anic
Verses 37
Al-Razi's Views on the Style of the
Qur) an 44
Al-Razi's Views on the Verses 53
.~biguous
Al-Razi's Views on Abrogation in the
Quraan 62
Chapter III: AI-Razi's Viewpoint on Creation and His
Arguments for Creation ex nihilo 70
AI-Razi's Refutation of the Philosophers 73
AI-Razi's Arguments for the Temporality
of the lorld 87
if
AI-Razi's Arguments against the Mu'tazilite
Theory that the non-existent is
something 91
Chapter IV: God's 3xistence and Jivine Attributes 104
AI-Razi's Arguments for the Existence
of God 109
Ji vine At tri butes 119
A1-Razi's treatement of the ::'hi1osophic
against the validity of
Argume~ts
Positive Attributes 123
viii
ix
Al-Razi's Classification of Attributes
133
Positive Attributes 138
Divine Power 140
Divine Attribute of Know'ledge and the
Controversy on God's Knowledge of
Particulars 151
Divine 164
~Ilill
Divine Attributes of Eearing and Seeing 171
Divine Living 178
Divine Attribute of Speech and the
Controversy on the Nature of the Qur·an
182
The Visibility of God 194
Chapter V: Free \tlill and Predestination 205
Chapter VI: Prophethood 220
The Infallibility of the Prophets 22h
Chapter VII: Resurrection 232
The Immortality of the Soul 239
Resurrection of the body 241
Conclusion 246
Bibliography 251
)