Document Type : Original Article

Abstract

Muhammad Ibn Zakariyya Razi (4th century AH/ 313 H.G.) is one of the most prominent philosophers of Iran and the Islamic world; however, he has been accused of atheism by some of his opponents who have compromised his religious beliefs. The current study aims to analyze two questions in this regard: Has Zakariyya truly rejected prophecy? What are the logical grounds and the rationale of his opponents to accuse him of being an atheist? Some of the reasons proposed by his opponents include: his belief in reincarnation and five ancients; his emphasis on independence of mind; and his books Mahariq al anbiya (The Book of Subterfuges of the Prophets) and Rejection of Religions; on the other hand, some evidence exists which rejects the argument of his opponents, or at least challenges their accusations. For example, attributing these two books to him seems groundless, since the scripts of these books are not available; only few historians have confirmed Razi as the writer of the books. Furthermore, some other pieces of evidence such as Muslim rulers’ respect to Muhammad Ibn Zakariyya as well as some of Razi’s books written on Imamat and resurrection can clear him of these accusations. In addition, some phrases in his works indicate his belief in Islam’s prophet and his book the Quran. Finally, having examined the reasons of both groups, we argue that Zakariyya Razi, having new thoughts and ideas which were sometimes different from the intellectual current of his time, was falsely accused and judged by some extremist intellectual movements such as Isma'iliyah.

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