Literature islam last assignments

Al-Ghazali

Early Years

Al-ghazali was born in 1058 AD in the Persian city of Tus in modern day Iran.

Considered by many to be the greatest scholar of Islam.

He studied under a figure by the name of Al- Juwayni, where he studied Fiq (Jurisprudence).

Jurisprudence and Philosophical Schools

Proponent of the Shafi’i school of jurisprudence.

Proponent of the Ash’ari school of kalam (doctrinal theology).

Teaching Position

Nizam Al-Mulk appointed Al-Ghazali to a teaching position in Baghdad - one of the most prestigious institutions in the Islamic world at the time.

The school was devoted to Sunni Islam and committed itself to combating elements of Shia Islam, especially the esoteric branches of the tradition such as the Ismailis.

The school also took issue with the Falsafa tradition of philosophical speculation which primarily drew its inspiration from greek philosophers.

Notable Works

The Scandal of the Esoterics - A polemical work dedicated to criticizing the Ismailis.

Moderation in Belief - A work of Kalam on the need to avoid extremes in religion.

The Incoherence of the Philosophers - A scathing critic of philosophers such as Ibn Sina and Al-Farabi.

The Revival of the Religious Sciences - Probably his most famous work. It is a general depiction of the practices of Islam, from the most basic to the highly esoteric teachings of the Sufis. This work attempts to combine the Kalam and Sufi perspectives of Islam.

Al-Ghazali’s Disagreements with the Philosophers Centered Around Three Issues:

1) The eternity of the world.

2) The denial of God’s knowledge of particulars.

3) The rejection of bodily resurrection.

He claimed that if one held any of these beliefs, he or she was guilty of unbelief.

Spiritual Crisis #1

Al-Ghazali asked “Can we trust reason?” He ultimately said no, “we can not trust reason.”

He divided reason into two types: (1) knowledge of the senses and (2) knowledge of the intellect.

He said both types of reason are unreliable.

Spiritual Crisis #2

Years later, he had another spiritual crises. He realized that all of his intellectual endeavors were driven by worldly success and had no benefit for his ultimate spiritual journey.

At this point, he turned to Sufism and left Baghdad to become a wandering ascetic for 11 years.

Return to Baghdad and the Life of Teaching and Writing

He came back a changed man devoted to the Sufi path.

He believed that true knowledge could only be attained by mystical unveiling. This breaks with his previous understanding of Islam which was devoted to the use of intellectual pursuits to achieve true knowledge.