Asas al-Taqdis

Asās al-Taqdīs (أساس التقديس), also known as Ta'sis al-Taqdis (تأسيس التقديس) is an Islamic theological book, written by the Shafi'i-Ash'ari scholar Fakhr al-Din al-Razi (d. 606/1209), as a methodical refutation of the Karramiyya and other anthropomorphists.

Fakhr al-Din al-Razi wrote this work to counter the book Kitab al-Tawhid composed by the ultra-traditionalist Ibn Khuzayma (d. 311/923). He referred to Ibn Khuzayma as 'the corporealist' (al-mujassim).

He said in the book's introduction that he dedicated it especially to the Sultan Abu Bakr ibn Ayyub.

Content
The first part of the book opens with a categorical rejection of any corporeality regarding God, under the title of "Indications on God's Transcendence beyond Corporeality and on Him not Being Confined [by any spatial location]". That is, in fact, his definition of anthropomorphism: al-Razi maintains that the one God is not present in a direction; He is not a space-occupying entity and is not a body, an assertion for which he provides proofs based on rational and textual evidence.

Al-Razi raises numerous claims, which he then refutes. The claims he contradicts are namely those held by the corporealist Karramites and the ultra-traditionalists who affirmed God's direction (jiha) and its veridical meaning (as haqiqa: truth, reality). In his discussion al-Razi articulates the Ash'ari stance on this matter and explains the proper figurative interpretation (ta'wil), according to his opinion.

Criticism
Ibn Taymiyya (d. 728/1328) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim (d. 751/1350) criticized and attacked the book. Ibn Taymiyya wrote a critical response to the book, entitled al-Ta'sis fi Radd Asas al-Taqdis (التأسيس في رد أساس التقديس), better known as Bayan Talbis al-Jahmiyya (بيان تلبيس الجهمية), defended the position that God is in a direction and a body.