Muhammad Ibn Zakariya Al-Razi - Razi's Masters and Opponents

Razi's Masters and Opponents

Razi studied medicine under Ali ibn Rabban al-Tabari, however, Ibn al-Nadim indicates that he studied philosophy under al-Bakhi, who had travelled much and possessed great knowledge of philosophy and ancient sciences.

Razi's hamud opponents, on the contrary, are well-known. They are the following:

• Abu al-Rabban al-Balki, chief of the Mu'tazilah of Baghdad (d. 319 AH/931 CE), a contemporary of Razi who wrote many refutations about Razi's books, especially in his Ilm al-Ilahi. His disagreements with Razi entailed his thoughts on the concept of 'Time'.
• Shuhaid ibn al-Husain al-Balkhi, with whom Razi had many controversies; one of these was on the concept of 'Pleasure', expounded in his Tafdll Ladhdhat al-Nafs which abu Sulaiman al-Mantiqi al-Sijistani quotes in his work Siwan al-Hikmah. Al-Balkhi died prior to 329 AH/940 CE.
• Abu Hatim al-Razi (Ahmad ibn Hamdan). an Isma'ili missionary, was one of his most influential opponents (d. 322 AH/933-934 CE). He published his controversies with Razi in his book A'lam al-Nubuwwah. Because of this book, Razi's thoughts on Prophets and Religion are preserved to the present time.
• Ibn al-Tammar (seemingly being abu Bakr Husain al-Tammar, according to Kraus) was a physician who had some disputes with Razi, as documented by Abu Hatim al-Razi in A'lam al-Nubuwwah. Ibn al-Tammar disagreed with Razi's book al-Tibb al-Ruhani but Razi rebutted him in two antitheses:

First refutation of al-Tammar's disagreement with Misma'i concerning 'Matter'.

Second refutation of al-Tammar's opinion of 'the Atmosphere of subterranean habitations'.

• Following are authors as described by Razi in his writings:
  • Al-Misma'i, a Mutakallim, who opposed 'materialists', counteracted Razi's treatise.
  • Jarir, a physician who had a theory about 'The eating of black mulberries after consuming water-melon'.
  • Al-Hasan ibn Mubarik al-Ummi, to whom Razi wrote two epistles with commentaries.
  • Al-Kayyal, a Mutakallim: al-Razi wrote a book on about his Theory of the Imam.
  • Mansur ibn Talhah, being the author of the book "Being", which was criticized by al-Razi.
  • Muhammad ibn al-Laith al-Rasa'ili whose opposition against alchemists was disputed by al-Razi.
• Ahmad ibn al-Tayyib al-Sarakhasi (d. 286 AH/899 CE), was an older contemporary of al-Razi. Al-Razi disagreed with him on the question of 'bitter taste'. He moreover opposed his teacher Ya'qub ibn Ishaq al-Kindi, regarding his writings, in which he discredited alchemists.

More names could be added to this list of all people opposed by al-Razi, specifically the Mu'tazilah and different Mutakallimin.