Great subjects about Divine knowledge
The book “great subjects about Divine knowledge”
( al-Matalob al- Aliya) is one of the works of the celebrated scholar “ Fakhr Rezi” , it is written in Arabic concerning existence of God and the reasons stating God is unique from the viewpoint of science of discourse ( kalam) . By presenting these subjects, the author created a blend of science of discourse with philosophy of Aristotle.
The author
Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Umar Ibn Hossein Tabaristani Razi, also known as "Imam Fakhr", Ibn al –Khatib" ,"Fakhr Razi" and also "Imam al- Mushakkekin" (because he doubted about most of the philosophical subjects), a famous Iranian Sunni theologian and philosopher. He was born in 1149 in Ray –Iran and died in 1209.
He studied jurisprudence and Kalam and other Islamic sciences under his father and then studied under Majduddin Jili.
He wrote on medicine, astrology, physics, literature, history and law.
Fakhr Razi was from "Shafi'i" of Islamic law.
Razi's most major work is "The keys to the unknown" (his exegesis on the Quran) and his most important philosophical work is "Eastern discussions".
Other works:
- Eastern studies in metaphysics and physics
The harvest thought of the ancients and moderns-
Book on the soul and the spirit and their faculties-
Commentary on the "Isharat" of Ibn Sina-
- A commentary on "Major rules in medicines" of Ibn Sina, etc
The book structure
The book is complied in 9 volumes:
- The 1st and 2nd volumes:
1- The reasons indicating the Necessary Being in the universe
(17 chapters)
2- The reasons stating God is unique and Immaculate (3 chapters)
- The necessary attributes of God (the 3th volume)
1- Divine knowledge
2- Divine Determination
3- God is Alert, the observant
4- God is Alive
5- God is 0ld and He always exists
6- on attributes of God
- The 4th and the 5th volumes:
1- On the old aspect of God (God has been always existed) and the creation aspect of God (God is born) and the mysteries of creation
2- Those who believe in the old aspect of God
3- The views of those who believe in the creation aspect of God
4- Time and place
5- Time in discourse
The 6th and the7th volumes:
1- Original matter (Hayula)
2- The essences of body
3- The superior and the inferior spirits of soul
4-the characteristics of Human soul
5- The high celestial soul
The 8th and the 9th volumes:
1- Prophecies and the subjects related to
2- Claim of prophecy by performing miracle
3- Claim of prophecy by other ways
4- Magic and its different kinds
5- Fate and destiny
6- Presenting intellectual reasons on: human deeds are performed by God is destiny
7- Presenting koranic verses on: God is the creator of human deeds
8-presenting Hadiths on human deeds
9- The views of early scholars on fate and destiny
10- Presenting intellectual reasons on rejecting the view of Mutazila (name of a religious movement founded at Basra- Iraq by wasil Ibn Ata. It is one of the most theological schools of Islam) about, human himself is the creator of their deeds
11- Presenting koranic verses on the view of Mutazila about human himself is the creator of their deeds
12- Mutazilas tendency towards Hadiths
13- Human is prohibited from compulsory faith
Sources :
Great subjects about Divine knowledge