Religious and Philosophical Heritage of Nasir al-Din Tusi: An Analysis of his Treatises

Abstract

This article examines the creative and scholarly heritage of Nasir al-Din Tusi (1201–1274), an outstanding encyclopedic scholar of the medieval Islamic civilization whose works encompass philosophy, ethics, religious thought, mathematics, astronomy, and other fields of knowledge. The study aims to reveal the multidimensional nature of Tusi’s intellectual legacy, identify the principal directions of his philosophical and scientific activity, and determine the significance of his treatises for the development of science and culture in the Islamic world. Particular attention is devoted to The Ethics of Nasiri, which addresses moral, legal, and family-social issues, as well as the perfection of the human person through the synthesis of Greek philosophical thought and Qur’anic teachings. The article also analyzes Tusi’s role in founding the Maragha Observatory and his contribution to the advancement of astronomical research. The methodological framework combines historical-cultural, comparative, and textual-analytical approaches, enabling an interdisciplinary interpretation of his works within the interaction of philosophical, religious, and scientific traditions. The findings demonstrate the systematic character of Tusi’s heritage, which integrated the achievements of ancient scientific philosophy with the intellectual tradition of Islamic civilization. His religious-philosophical ideas and astronomical studies are shown to have exerted a lasting influence on the subsequent development of scientific knowledge. The research contributes to the comprehensive understanding of Tusi’s treatises within the history of philosophy, religious studies, and the history of science, and its results may be applied in teaching and research in Islamic philosophy, religious studies, cultural studies, and related academic disciplines.

Keywords: Nasir al-Din Tusi, Islamic Civilization, Philosophical Heritage, Maragha Observatory, Religious and Ethical Thought