Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's theological critiques of idolatry andmanichaeism

This study aims to examine Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī's critiques of polytheism and Manichaeism, analyzing his theological discourse from a kalām-based perspective. The research outlines the conceptual framework underlying al-Rāzī's objections and evaluates the historical context and intellectual impact of his arguments. Classical kalām sources and al-Rāzī's original works were analyzed in this study. His criticisms of polytheistic and Manichaean beliefs were systematically categorized in terms of content, methodology, and intended audience. The research emphasizes that these critiques represent not only a religious rejection but also a philosophical and sociocultural interrogation. The study concludes that al-Rāzī's critiques contributed to a powerful theological discourse in the religious and intellectual debates of his time and significantly influenced the developmentof kalām within the Islamic intellectual tradition.