An Approach to the Theological Thought of al-Raghib al-Isfahani in the Book Mufradat Alfaz al-Qur'an

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Quran and Hadith Sciences, Al-Mustafa University, Qom, Iran.

2 Department of Law, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

This research examines the theological thought of al-Rāghib al-Iṣfahānī in the book Mufradāt Alfāẓ al-Qurʾān (The Vocabulary of Qurʾānic Terms). Its objective is to elucidate the true meaning of Qurʾānic theological terminology and to discover al-Rāghib's theological orientations through lexical analysis. The research method is descriptive-analytical, based on library sources. The findings indicate that al-Rāghib adopts a rationalist (ʿaql-garā) and transcendence-oriented (tanzīhī) approach in discussions of monotheism (tawḥīd), divine attributes, justice (ʿadl), determinism and free will (jabr wa ikhtiyār), prophethood (nubuwwa), and the eschaton (maʿād). The most important conclusion is that al-Rāghib's theological thought is close to the school of ʿAdlīya (Imāmī Shīʿa and moderate Muʿtazilism), because he emphasizes divine transcendence (tanzīh), the negation of corporeal vision (ruʾyat al-jismānī), rational goodness and evil (ḥusn wa qubḥ al-ʿaqlī), divine justice, the negation of both determinism and absolute free will (the doctrine of al-amr bayn al-amrayn—the position between the two positions), although he refrains from explicit sectarian affiliation. Accordingly, Mufradāt is not merely a lexical work but a theological work of significant content, featuring innovations such as the distinction between will (irāda) and providence (masīʾa), the analysis of divine decree and destiny (qaḍāʾ wa qadar) within the framework of divine knowledge, and the defense of the doctrine of al-amr bayn al-amrayn.

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References

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