Spiritual Physic, the Struggle between Aghl (Reason) and Hawā (Passion) from Razi Perspective

One of the major issues in medicine of Islamic era is the improvement of the morality of the soul. The physicians of the Islamic period, in addition to the health of the body, as a physical aspect, have also taken into consideration the spiritual aspect of the human being. As a physician, philosopher and scientist of the 6th and 7th centuries AH, Muhammad ibn Zakaria Razi, in his book titled "Tibb ar-Ruhani" (Spiritual Physic), had a special interest in the subject of soul and morality health. In this study, the role of reason and passion as two essential factors in spiritual physic from Razi's viewpoint is discussed.

This research has been carried out in a library research method and using ancient primary sources and contemporary researches, it is first attempted to introduce Razi and his works and then to place his views on the subject of soul morality by focusing on the book "Tibb ar-Ruhani" (Spiritual Physic).

Razi in "Tibb ar-Ruhani" has stated the ultimate goal of his book is the improvement of the morality of the soul and the way to do so is to follow wisdom and to cherish reason as the greatest divine blessing and yet to avoid passion. He commends the reason by designating principles and criteria for identifying the threatening factors of the health of the soul and repelling moral vices in all the twenty chapters of the book, and defining philosophers as true rationalists. In this book, he has tried to identify the moral vices in simple terms and then to describe very practically the way of dispelling evil qualities.

Zakariya Razi, as a philosopher physician, though pursuing philosophical and ethical views of Plato and Galen, by using a simplistic and narrative style in various chapters of the book and focusing on reason has led his work eventually become an important and significant source in field of refining the morality of the soul and paying attention to the spiritual aspect of the human for the society.