Introduction

Dar' Ta'arud al-'Aql wan-Naql, known also as Muwafaqat Sahih al-Manqul li-Sarih al-Ma'qul, is the most extensive theological work of Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn 'Abd al-Halim ibn Taymiyyah al-Harrani (661–728 AH / 1263–1328 CE). Composed during periods of his scholarly activity in Damascus, the work runs to twelve volumes in its modern printed edition. It stands as Ibn Taymiyyah's fullest treatment of the central epistemological question in Islamic theology: what is the correct relationship between rational argument ('aql) and transmitted revelation (naql), and how should apparent conflicts between them be resolved?

The book was written in response to a principle articulated by the philosopher-theologian Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (544–606 AH / 1150–1210 CE), who argued that when an established rational proof conflicts with the apparent meaning of a scriptural text, the rational proof must take priority and the text must be reinterpreted accordingly. Al-Razi formalized this principle in his theological writings, and it provided a theoretical justification for the systematic allegorical interpretation (ta'wil) of texts concerning the divine attributes that had become standard in certain Ash'ari and philosophical circles. Ibn Taymiyyah's response is a comprehensive refutation of this principle and a positive articulation of an alternative epistemology.

Ibn Taymiyyah's argument proceeds on several levels. He contends that al-Razi's principle generates an infinite regress — because the rational proof itself depends on premises that can always be questioned — and therefore cannot serve as a reliable arbiter over revelation. He further argues that the apparent conflict between reason and revelation is always illusory: the Quran and Sunnah, when understood in the way the early Muslim community understood them, do not in fact contradict what is known through sound rational inquiry. The conflict, he maintains, arises from defective rational premises or from misreading the texts. His positive claim is that correctly understood reason and correctly understood revelation always agree.

The work is also a major contribution to the history of Islamic philosophy. Ibn Taymiyyah engages in detail with the arguments of al-Farabi, Ibn Sina, al-Ghazali, Ibn Rushd, al-Razi, and other major figures, often showing detailed familiarity with their positions while arguing that the philosophical framework they inherited from Greek sources introduced assumptions incompatible with Islamic theology. His treatment of Aristotelian logic, his critique of the concept of necessary existence, and his analysis of the nature of human knowledge are all developed at length.

Readers approaching Dar' Ta'arud should be prepared for a demanding text. The argumentation is dense, the philosophical vocabulary is technical, and Ibn Taymiyyah frequently interrupts his main argument with extended digressions. The work rewards careful reading by scholars who wish to understand the foundations of Athari epistemology and Ibn Taymiyyah's intellectual engagement with the philosophical tradition. It is an indispensable primary source for understanding the range and depth of classical Islamic theological controversy over the relationship between reason and revelation.