Treatise on Metaphysics

What it is

This is the Arabic text of a philosophical treatise by Abu Bakr al-Razi, dealing with questions beyond the physical world, such as the nature of causation and the arguments of philosophers like Aristotle. The text is preserved today on Arabic Wikisource.

Why it matters

Al-Razi is best known as a physician, but he was also a serious philosopher who argued with the ideas of earlier thinkers such as Aristotle. This treatise shows that his thinking went beyond medicine into deep questions about nature, cause and existence, revealing the broad intellectual culture of his time.

Look closer

• What questions is al-Razi trying to answer in this opening passage?
• Why might a physician also want to write about philosophy?
• What does his engagement with Aristotle tell us about the scholarly world he lived in?