Philosophising the Occult : Avicennan Psychology and 'The Hidden Secret' of Fakhr Al-Dīn Al-Rāzī

Was it mere encyclopedism that motivated Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī (d.1210), one of the most influential Islamic theologians of the twelfth century, to theorize on astral magic – or was there a deeper purpose? One of his earliest works was The Hidden Secret (‘al-Sirr al-Maktūm’), a magisterial study of the ‘craft’ which harnessed spiritual discipline and natural philosophy to establish noetic connection with the celestial souls to work wonders here on earth. The initiate’s preceptor is a personal celestial spirit, ‘the perfect nature’ which represents the ontological origin of his soul. This volume will be the first study of The Hidden Secret and its theory of astral magic, which synthesized the naturalistic account of prophethood constructed by Avicenna (d.1037), with the perfect nature doctrine as conceived by Abū’l-Barakāt (d.1165). Shedding light on one of the most complex thinkers of the post-Avicennan period, it will show how al-Rāzī’s early theorizing on the craft contributed to his formulation of prophethood with which his career culminated. Representing the nexus between philosophy, theology and magic, it will be of interest to all those interested in Islamic intellectual history and occultism. Was it mere encyclopedism that motivated Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d.1210), one of the most influential Islamic theologians of the twelfth century, to theorize on astral magic ? or was there a deeper purpose? One of his earliest works was The Hidden Secret (?al-Sirr al-Maktum?), a magisterial study of the ?craft? which harnessed spiritual discipline and natural philosophy to establish noetic connection with the celestial souls to work wonders here on earth. The initiate?s preceptor is a personal celestial spirit, ?the perfect nature? which represents the ontological origin of his soul. This volume will be the first study of The Hidden Secret and its theory of astral magic, which synthesized the naturalistic account of prophethood constructed by Avicenna (d.1037), with the perfect nature doctrine as conceived by Abu?l-Barakat (d.1165). Shedding light on one of the most complex thinkers of the post-Avicennan period, it will show how al-Razi?s early theorizing on the craft contributed to his formulation of prophethood with which his career culminated. Representing the nexus between philosophy, theology and magic, it will be of interest to all those interested in Islamic intellectual history and occultism Die Studien zur Geschichte und Kultur des Vorderen Orients erscheinen als Supplement der Zeitschrift Der Islam , gegrndet 1910 von Carl Heinrich Becker, einem der Vter der modernen Islamwissenschaft. Ganz im Sinne Beckers ist das Ziel der Studien die Erforschung der vergangenen Gesellschaften des Vorderen Orients, ihrer Glaubenssysteme und der zugrundeliegenden sozialen und konomischen Verhltnisse, von der Iberischen Halbinsel bis nach Zentralasien, von den ukrainischen Steppen zum Hochland des Jemen. ber die grundlegende philologische Arbeit an der literarischen berlieferung hinaus nutzen die Studien die archivalischen, sowie materiellen und archologischen berlieferungen als Quelle fr die gesamte Bandbreite der historisch arbeitenden Geistes- und Sozialwissenschaften. Herausgeber sind Stefan Heidemann (Universitt Hamburg, federfhrend), Gottfried Hagen (University of Michigan, USA), Andreas Kaplony (Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitt Mnchen) und Rudi Matthee (University of Delaware, USA). Studies in the History and Culture of the Middle East are published as supplement to Der Islam which was founded in 1910 by Carl Heinrich Becker, an early practitioner of the modern study of Islam. The mission of the series is the study of past societies of the Middle East, their belief systems, and their underlying social and economic relations--in their aim to cover the entire spectrum of the historically oriented humanities and social sciences