Ebû Hâtim Er-Râzînin İsmaili Düşüncedeki Yeri ve Önemi

The Theorist of Ismāʿīlism and the Chief Dāʿī of Rayy Ismāʿīlīsm is one of the main schools within Shia Islam. Although different names have been attributed to this sect, one of the most common designations is Bāṭiniyya. Over time, the members of this sect have also been referred to as Bāṭinī, a term that later acquired a negative connotation. For this reason, the Ismāʿīlī sect, to which our author belonged, has been accused in classical Islamic sectarian history works of having heterodox and extremist views. Due to some later activities, the Ismāʿīlīs have also been associated with terrorism. These perceptions about the Ismāʿīlī sect and its followers are largely rooted in political factors. Over the course of history, the intense struggle between the Abbasids and the Fatimids has significantly influenced the religious and theological sphere, further deepening the divisions among Muslims. When considering the conditions of the period in which Ismāʿīlīsm emerged, this situation becomes apparent. Due to the severe repression by the Abbasid state, the Ismāʿīlī movement, which played a leading role in opposition circles, was compelled to operate covertly and this phase came to be known as the Era of the Hidden Imams. The fundamental belief of Ismāʿīlīsm during the secretive propogation (daʿwa) period was that Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl had not died and that he would return as the Mahdī-Qāʾim to establish justice on earth, which had been filled with oppression. However, when ʿUbayd Allāh al-Mahdī declared himself the awaited Mahdī and announced that the propogation would now be conducted openly, a new phase began within the sect, leading to internal divisions. Those who accepted ʿUbayd Allāh as their imam later formed the group known as the Fatimids. In contrast, those who rejected his imamate and continued to wait for the return of Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl as the Mahdī-Qāʾim were referred to as the Qarmaṭians. Our author, Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī, was among those who did not recognize ʿUbayd Allāh al-Mahdīs imamate and continued to await the return of Muḥammad b. Ismāʿīl. Due to his use of the term Ismāʿīlīya, viii he is considered one of the theorists of the sect. Additionally, as one of the dāʿīs of Rayy, he played a crucial role in spreading the sect in the Khurāsān and Transoxiana regions. Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī was born sometime after the second half of the 3rd/9th century, though the exact date remains unknown, and he passed away in 322/934. Thus, his lifetime coincided with the early period of Ismāʿīlīsm. During this period, he focused on propogation activities, striving to both spread the sect among the masses and gain acceptance from rulers. While significant successes were achieved in line with these goals, the situation later took a turn for the worse. During this time, Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī authored several important works. One of them, Kitāb al-Zīna fī al-Kalimāt al-Islāmiyya al-ʿArabiyya, was written for the sects followers. This work consists of three volumes, the first two of which serve as a dictionary of Arabic language and Islamic religious terminology. The third volume is related to sectarian history and is the first extant sectarian history book written by an Ismāʿīlī author. Another significant work, Aʿlām al-Nubuwwa, documents his discussions on prophethood with the renowned deist philosopher Abū Bakr Zakariyyā ʾ al-Rāzī. This book is particularly valuable because it defends the concept of prophethood in a scientific and philosophical manner. Another aspect that makes Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī significant within the sect is his advocacy for the continued validity of Islamic law (Sharia). To defend and establish this view within the sect, he wrote Kitāb al-Iṣlāḥ, a refutation directed at the Transoxianan dāʿī al-Nasafī and his book Kitāb al-Maḥṣūl, which argued that Islamic law had been abrogated. Through his successful propogation activities and his writings, Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī became one of the most prominent figures of the Ismāʿīlī sect. In particular, his stance on Islamic law earned him recognition even among the Fatimid Ismāʿīlīs as a defender of an authentic Muslim perspective. Keywords: Abū Ḥātim al-Rāzī; Ismāʿīlīya; Bāṭiniyya; Qarmaṭians; Kitāb al-Zīna; Aʿlām al-Nubuwwa; Kitāb al-Iṣlāḥ