Back to search

What should one be wary of when reading Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's Tafsir?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Al-Razi's Tafsir (exegesis) is considered a reference in scholastic theology (Kalam) and Ash'ari doctrine. However, Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah countered it, elucidating its contradictions. Ibn Hajar also mentioned that Al-Razi presented strong specious arguments but fell short in resolving them. Al-Razi focused on philosophy and rational sciences in his Tafsir and was not well-versed in the doctrine of the Salaf. Towards the end of his life, he retracted from his scholastic theological methodology to the methodology of the righteous Salaf, admitting that the path of truth is to follow the Qur'an. Al-Razi's Tafsir is not recommended for a student of knowledge who is not proficient in the Salafi doctrine. There are other Tafsirs that conform to the methodology of the Salaf, such as the Tafsir of Ibn Kathir and Adwa' al-Bayan by Al-Sa'di.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy