The history and doctrines of the Karrāmiyya sect with special reference to ar-Rāzī's criticism

Abstract

The objective of this thesis is the study of the history and doctrines of one of the Muslim sects namely the Karramiyya sect, with special attention made to Fakhr ad-Dln ar-RazI's criticism of the sect's doctrines and views. Therefore the first chapter of this study is dedicated to the study of ar-Razi's life in particular that part connected with his involvement with the Karramites. In the second chapter I have treated the history of the sect starting from its founder Muhammad Ibn-Karram including various aspects of his life as well as his achievement and significance. It is also dealt here with the history of the sect after Ibn-Karram and the role which his adherents had played in the life of Khurasan and the Ghur regime.

The following chapters have been devoted to the explanation of the theological doctrines of the sect. In the third chapter it is dealt with the Karramite views regarding the nature of God and the problems related to their views in this respect. Therefore a section of this chapter is concerned with the sect's views of the Essence of God, another with their views of God's attributes and the third with their theory of the origination and annihilation of the world. The sect's views regarding the problem of Free will and predestination have been considered in the fourth chapter, and in the fifth their Doctrine of faith and its further implications have been treated. And in the last chapter the Karramite concept of the Prophecy have been considered. All this has been dealt with in comparison between the Karramites views and the views of other sects, particularly the Asb'arites whose views were presented mainly by Fakhr ad-Din ar-RazI.