Problem of creation in Sharh al-ishārāt of Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī

Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d. 606/1210) is a prominent figure in the Islamic world of thought who inherited the intellectual traditions that before him, and evaluated them in a critical and original manner. The manifestation of his climax in terms of unifying Islamic scholastic theology (Kalām) and philosophy is the comprehensive studies he puts forth in the two disciplines. This study focusses on the discussion of "creation" in Islamic philosophy as discussed in Sharh al-Ishārāt by Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, who has been widely recognized for his serious and unique commentaries and his annotations on al-Ishārāt wa al-tanbīhāt (Remarks and Admonitions) which is considered to be one of the most influential books of the prominent Muslim philosopher Ibn Sīnā (d. 428/1037) for its contribution and impact on the other disciplines. In the first part of the study, after explaining the essence of creation, Rāzī's conception of creation, the quiddity of creation, the historical background and the fundamental debates on creation is discussed. In the second part, existence as the metaphysical ground for creation is examined along with the definition of the existence phenomenon, its relationship to the quiddity of creation and its types and parts. The final section aims to present how the problem of creation is examined in al-Rāzī 's Sharh al-Ishārāt in relation to God as the Creator and His names, actions, and adjectives; the creation of the universe and criticism towards the Theory of Emanation which is conceptualized as a creation model.