Religious and scientific
scholar from Khorasan (B. 1149, Rey – D. 1210, Herat). His full name is Muhammed
bin Ömer bin Hüseyin bin Hüseyin bin Ali et-Teymî el-Bekrî. He was an all
rounder scholar who studied and worked on almost all sciences of his times such
as kalam, fiqh procedure, commentary, Arabic language, philosophy, logic,
astronomy, medicine, and mathematics. His family was originally from
Taberistan. He is known as İbnü’l-Hatîb by the Western Islamic World and as Fahruddîn
Razî and Fahr-i Razî by others. His father Ziyauddin Ömer, a scholar of fiqh
(Islamic Law) and kalam (explaining and proving the religious principles using rational
evidences) was known with his nice and impressive oratory and so being called
as “Hatibü’r-Rey” (T.N. The Orator of Rey). Razî took lessons from his father
until his death when he was sixteen. In order to continue his education, he
went to Simnan from Rey. After getting educated for a while on fiqh (Islamic
Law) there, he returned back to Rey again and took philosophy and kalam lessons
from Mecdüddîn el-Cilî, who was a famous hodja.
After completing his
education and reaching high positions in science, he made travels to some
places. In Harezm, he made discussions with the persons connected with Mütezile
(the opinion owners who ground on what mind calls beautiful or ugly). Then he
went to Maveraünnehr. After he returned to his hometown, he went to Gazne and
then to Khorasan. Fahreddin Razî, who stayed in Herat for a while, proved with
evidences that the beliefs of Kerrâmiyye sectary were wrong.
Fahreddin Razî was
curious about kalam,
philosophy and metaphysics, and was talented and inquiring regarding these
subjects. He met the works of Farabî and Avicenna at Khorasan. He benefited a
lot from them and had the opportunity of further improving his knowledge. He dealt
with medicine, astronomy, language and literature and wrote on these subjects.
Râzî made scientific discussions with well-known scholars at the places he
visited. By doing so, he further improved his knowledge.
Râzî, who went to Transoxiana, Türkistan, Khorasan and many Indian cities, returned to Rey with a poor financial situation, however he got out of the financial problems upon the marriage of his two sons with two daughters of a rich doctor. Razî established good relationships with Gur Sultan Gıyasettin and his brother Şihabudîn and served in their governments. Then he returned to Khorasan and continued his science and education studies with Harzemşah Tökiş. Razî, who were allocated to madrasahs both in Gur and in Harizm, was known as the Shaykh al-Islam; afterwards he gained a considerable reputation, prestige and respectability.
In the field of Islamic sciences,
after foundation of many small states which became independent after quitting
the Abbasid caliphate, the intellectual dynamism improved, cultural level
increased and became widespread. The palaces of the said states overflowed with
scientists, poets, scholars, and other intellectuals. Emergence of many groups
which abused the scientific and cultural studies for destructive political and
religious purposes should also be mentioned. Despite the weakening and power
loss of the Abbasid state and the entrance of the Islamic world into a period
of overall disintegration and decomposition, the scientific discussions among
the Sünnî ulama (scholars) and the scholars from other sectarians have become
the distinguishing feature of that period. The foundation of these large and
small states facilitated the increase of wealth, development of civilization
and accordingly the initiation of a bright era with regard to the scientific
movements. For example, well-known scientists, intellectuals and sufis, who
still had a distinguished name, such as İbn Rüşt, Necmüddîn Kübra, Feridüddîn
Attar, Seyfüddîn Âmidî, İbn Fârız, İbn Arabî, Sadruddîn Konevî, Mevlâna, grew
during that period, namely during the late 12th century and early 13th
century. On the other hand, due to the Mongolian invasion after 1225 of the
Islamic world, who was tired out with the continuing crusades, the development
of science and civilization took a major blow. That was the period when Razî
lived.
Although Razî was well
known with his broad knowledge of kalam, he was also a big commentator (Koran interpreter)
and an important philosopher. Exactly like Gazali, he introduced some
innovations in the fields of kalam, commentary, usul al-fiqh, and logic and these innovations recognized
widely by the successor scholars. Razî also possessed a broad
knowledge of the mental sciences. Famous sufi Muhyiddin b. Arabî had heard of
the reputation of Razî and wrote a letter to him. Moreover, İbn Teymiye said
that İbn Arabî had had largely benefited from the philosophical works of Razî,
especially the “el-Muhassal”. His
lessons, sermons, and books, being extremely clear, fluent and readily
understandable, laconic, impressive and systematic also improved his impact. He
was expressing even the difficult scientific subjects such as kalam and
philosophy with a quite clear language. There was a very large group of people around
him consisting mostly of experts but who were still eager to learn.
The scholars of kalam
(individuals who are trying to prove rationally and logically the existence,
uniqueness and capacities of the God based on Koran and the hadiths), who were
following the methodology of Eşarî previously, eventually started to use also
logic to explain the apocalyptic (communication of the orders or thoughts by
Allah to the prophets) facts more easily and effectively. As of 11th
century, it was made more influentially and systematic and peaked especially in
the works of el-Cüveynî such as “İrşad”
and “eş-Şâmil”. With Gazalî, kalam
gained a new style. While retaining his initial anti-philosophy attitude, he
also started to use the methodology of logic, mental evidences and some
philosophical approaches. This method constituted the foundations of the
philosophical kalam understanding of the successor scholars. Together with
Razî, this ecole almost peaked with regards to its power and perfection. In the
works of Razî, the kalam-related problems were recognized by their integration
with other sciences. He combined the kalam and ethics in his tract called “Esasü’t-Tenzil” and the kalam and the Islamic
sufism in his works called “Levamiu’l-Beyyinat”
and “Esasu’t-Takdis”.
İbn Haldun, who said that
Râzî had combined and integrated the kalam and metaphysics, also pointed out
his importance in the field of logic and said he had reshaped the logic. So
indeed Razî handled logic differently and later the madrasah hodjas utilized
his style. Briefly, Razî not only restructured the books on kalam with a new
perspective and further embedded the philosophical issues into this science; he
more importantly subjected the traditional issues of kalam to a philosophical
resolution and interpretation differently than the previous scholars of kalam.
While Razî mainly dealt
with kalam, he also gave importance to fiqh. His works on usul al-fiqh such as “el-Mahsul fî Usuli’l-Fıkh”, “el-Meâlim”
and “İhkâmu’l-Ahkâm” proves his
competency of fiqh. Razî quoted many hadiths especially in his commentary. With
these quotations, he sometimes referenced the source of the hadith and sometimes
delivered the script of the hadith as it is. Razî delivered his opinions on the
fundamentals of hadith as the occasion arose. When he talked about the
implication (connection between the words and the meaning), he briefly referred
ahad (meanings) and mütevâtir (the hadith whose word meaning has been related to) news. Razî’s
interest to other sciences never decreased his love of Koran. It is rumoured
that he said: “I experienced all methods
of the science of kalam and all approaches of philosophy; however I couldn’t
gain the benefit I obtained through reading the Kuran.” On the other hand,
he wrote his works on commentary towards the end of his life.
Fahreddin Er-Razî died
in 1209 in the Ramadan. It is rumoured that, he had been poisoned by Kerramî
People whom he had criticized and whose mistakes he had explained. Upon his
will, his death was kept secret. Although he was buried in his house in the
dark of the night, it was demonstrated as if he had been buried at a
mountainside. This was because they were worrying that the Kerramis might
exhume and savage his dead body.
Râzî’s nearly two hundred known works are related to almost all fields of the Islamic life of thought and they incorporate almost all sciences of the period. However, although some of his works has reached today, unfortunately many more couldn't. Some of his works, which were considered to be lost, are being found in various libraries as a result of searches. Unfortunately, most of his works are still being stored as manuscripts in various libraries. A considerable portion of them are also available in the libraries in Turkey.
REFERENCE:
Mian Muhammed Şerif / İslam Düşüncesi Tarihi (Çev. Mustafa Armağan, 4 cilt,
1990), Süleyman Uludağ / Fahrettin Razî, Türkiye Diyanet Vakfı İslam
Ansiklopedisi (c. 5, 2005), İhsan Işık / Ünlü Bilim
Adamları (Türkiye Ünlüleri Ansiklopedisi, C. 2, 2013) - Encyclopedia of
Turkey’s Famous People (2013). - Resimli ve
Metin Örnekli Türkiye Edebiyatçılar ve Kültür Adamları Ansiklopedisi (C. 12,
2017).