Mafatih al-Ghayb, usually known as al-Tafsir al-Kabir , is a classical Islamic tafsir book, written by the twelfth-century Islamic theologian and philosopher Fakhruddin Razi (d.1210). The book is an exegesis and commentary on the Qur'an. At 32 volumes, it is even larger than the 28-volume Tafsir al-Tabari. It is not unusual for modern works to use it as a reference. "One of [his] major concerns was the self-sufficiency of the intellect. [...] [He] believed [that] proofs based on tradition (hadith) could never lead to certainty (yaqin) but only to presumption (zann), a key distinction in Islamic thought. [...] [However] his acknowledgment of the primacy of the Qur'an grew with his years. [...] [Al-Razi's rationalism] undoubtedly holds an important place in the debate in the Islamic tradition on the harmonization of reason and revelation. In his later years, he also showed interest in mysticism, although this never formed a significant part of his thought."

Features

Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has written: Just as Tafsir Ibn Kathir is the most concise and matchless exegesis from a narrative point of view, so also there is no parallel to Tafsir Kabir in relation to the sciences of Reason. Some people have passed a funny remark on this exegesis (In it, there is everything except exegesis). But the fact is that this remark is cruelly unjust to this book because this book has no equal in the interpretation of the meanings of the Qurān. The prominent features of this book are: In short, Tafsīr Kabīr is a very concise exegesis and my personal experience is that whenever I have found a difficulty, it has guided me to the right answer. [...] However, certain things must be kept in mind in connection with this exegesis: Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani has also written in his autobiography: The reality is that the systematic way in which Imam Razi (may Allah’s mercy be upon him) has presented Tafsir-related issues is unparalleled in any other Tafsir. It is true that he has elucidated upon Kalam-related matters in elaborate details, but he has done so after clarifying the Tafsir-related discussions, and this was also the need of his times. But this cannot be used to downplay the value of his Tafsir in any way. Especially with regards to the topic of the arrangement of the Noble Qur'aan and the mutual connections between its verses, his explanations are rather satisfactory most of the time. Maulana Sayyid Muhammad Yoosuf Binnori has written in his article Yateematu-l-Bayaan that his reverend teacher Sayyid Muhammad Anwar Shah Kashmiri used to say: Of all the difficult things in the Qur'an, I did not find any difficulty which Imam Razi had not dealt with. It is another matter that sometimes he could not present a solution to the difficulties as could satisfy the soul.