The Intellectual Foundations of Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi: A Study of Akhlaq-i Nasiri and Tajrid al-I'tiqad

Khwaja Nasir al-Din al-Tusi is one of the greatest and most influential Islamic thinkers, known for his numerous innovations and writings during the 13th century CE. His intellectual legacy has continued to capture the attention of scholars—especially those in the Islamic tradition—for centuries. It is evident that analyzing the intellectual foundations in the thought of any Muslim philosopher is of great importance. Al-Tusi is one such thinker who, in his works, has addressed a wide array of themes, including mystical theology, ethics, and philosophy, offering profound insights and producing invaluable contributions to Islamic and mystical literature. The present study aims to explore and examine two of al-Tusi’s seminal works: Akhlaq-i Nasiri and Tajrid al-I'tiqad. Employing descriptive and analytical methods, this research is based on data collected through library sources. The findings indicate that al-Tusi refers to various theological and philosophical subjects in these works, the most significant of which include: justice, the rational basis of moral good and evil, divine wisdom, fate and destiny, obligation, divine grace, and issues related to prophethood, imamate, the afterlife, reward and punishment, the concepts of foiling of deeds (ihbat), and takfir (excommunication). His perspectives on these foundational theological dimensions are thoroughly explicated in this study.