On Divine Transcendence & Anthropomorphism : New,

'A Refutation against the Literalists'

[A5] Hardback with Dustjacket - 259 pages,

by Mohd. Farid M. Shahran,

by Islamic & Strategic Studies Institute.

Description :

As a religion which upholds divine transcendence as its fundamental element in arriving at divine knowledge, Islam is against any attempt to liken God with the characteristics of others particularly humans. The strong disavowal of anthropomorphism shown by Muslim theologians (the mutakallimūn) especially that against anthropomorphism brought by certain marginal schismatic sects throughout the history of Islamic thought has proved this uncompromising stance.

This work analyses the refutations of one of the important later Ash‘arite mutakallimūn, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (1149-1209) against the literal views of the anthropomorphism who invested God with various anthropomorphic qualities. Since anthropomorphism also springs from the false understanding of the ambiguous verses of the Qur’ān (mutashābihāt), this work examines al-Rāzī’s views of muḥkamāt and mutashābihāt and the role of ta’wīl (allegorical interpretation) as the appropriate device in understanding the meaning of those ambiguous verses.

More to follow ...

Imam Razi :

He is Muhammad ibn `Umar ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Husayn Abu `Abd Allah al-Qurashi, al-Bakri, al-Taymi, al-Tabaristani al-Shafi`i, known as Ibn al-Khatib and as Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (543-606), Shaykh al-Islam, the Imam of the learned scholars of kalam and the foundations of belief, a major jurist of the Shafi`i school, specialist of usul, Sufi, commentator of the Qur'an, philologist, genealogist, heresiographer, logician, and physician. "An ocean that contains more pearls than the ocean." The principal spokesman of Ahl al-Sunna in his time, he refuted all the sects with which he came into contact, particularly the multifarious groups of the Mu`tazila, Shi`a, and Hashwiyya as well as  the Jews and Christians.


A student of his father Khatib al-Rayy Diya' al-Din `Umar and Majd al-Din al-Jili al-Maraghi principally, then Abu Muhammad al-Baghawi and Kamal al-Din al-Simnani, he memorised early on Imam al-Haramayn's work in kalam entitled al-Shamil. He began his scholarly career in poverty and died at sixty-three at the height of fame and wealth, poisoned, it is said, by the Karramiyya of Herat who were envious of his great following among the princes of Khurasan.


A superb teacher, al-Razi could debate and preach in both Arabic and Persian, and he answered gracefully and at length the questions of the scholars of all four schools in Herat. He would often break into emotional states while preaching, moving to tears whoever listened to him. He was expelled from Khwarizm and Transoxiana by the Mu`tazila and returned to his native Rayy where he authored a series of works which achieved widespread fame in a short time.

Dimensions : 22.2 x 15cm.