Abu Hamid al-Ghazali

Full name: Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad ibn Muhammad at-Tusi al-Ghazali.

Birth and death: He was born around 450 H (1058) in Tus, in Khorasan (present-day Iran), and he died on December 19, 1111 (14 Jumada ath-Thaniya 505 H) in his hometown, may Allah have mercy on him.

His place in the Umma: He is considered the mujaddid (renewer) of the 5th century Hijri. His contemporaries attributed to him the title of Hujjat al-Islam (the Proof of Islam) on account of the breadth of his scholarship. He was a mujtahid in the Shafi'i school, a theologian of the Ash'ari path, and he turned toward tasawwuf (Sufism) in the second part of his life.

His education: He first studied in his hometown of Tus, then in Jurjan, and finally in Nisabur where his professor was Imam al-Juwayni, surnamed Imam al-Haramayn. Under the latter's tutelage, he acquired a thorough mastery of Shafi'i fiqh, theology (kalam), and philosophy. After the death of al-Juwayni, he went to the court of the powerful Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk.

His career in Baghdad: In 1091, Nizam al-Mulk, impressed by his erudition, appointed him principal professor at the Nizamiyya of Baghdad, the most prestigious academic post in the Muslim world at the time. He taught more than 300 students, while studying and refuting the Neoplatonic philosophies of al-Farabi and Ibn Sina (Avicenna).

His spiritual crisis and withdrawal: He underwent a profound spiritual crisis that rendered him physically incapable of teaching. In November 1095, he abandoned his career and left Baghdad. He disposed of his possessions, adopted a life of asceticism, and traveled to Damascus, Jerusalem, and Mecca. This withdrawal lasted approximately ten years, during which he devoted himself to meditation, worship, and writing. He recounted this experience in his autobiography Al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal (The Deliverer from Error).

His major works:

Ihya' 'Ulum ad-Din (The Revival of the Religious Sciences) — His magisterial work, composed of 40 books covering acts of worship, the customs of daily life, destructive vices, and saving virtues. It is one of the most read books in the history of Islam after the Quran and the hadith collections. However, it should be noted that hadith scholars such as Ibn al-Jawzi and al-'Iraqi pointed out that this work contains many weak (da'if) hadiths and even some with no known chain of transmission (la asla lahu). Ibn al-Jawzi reworked the content of the work and produced the Minhaj al-Qasidin, which Ibn Qudama al-Maqdisi then summarized in his Mukhtasar Minhaj al-Qasidin, free of the problematic content. This latter work is often recommended as a safer alternative.

Tahafut al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the Philosophers) — A major refutation of Muslim philosophers influenced by Greek philosophy, particularly al-Farabi and Ibn Sina, on questions such as the eternity of the world, divine knowledge of particulars, and bodily resurrection. This book had a considerable impact and prompted Ibn Rushd's response in his Tahafut at-Tahafut.

Al-Mustasfa min 'Ilm al-Usul — A reference work in usul al-fiqh (foundations of jurisprudence).

Al-Iqtisad fi al-I'tiqad and Al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal — Works on 'aqida and his intellectual journey.

Points of divergence: In all honesty, it should be mentioned that Imam al-Ghazali is a scholar about whom scholarly opinions diverge. While many have praised his intelligence, piety, and asceticism, other scholars have reproached him for several things: his orientation toward tasawwuf and certain Sufi practices, the integration of philosophical concepts into his works of 'aqida, the weak and fabricated hadiths in the Ihya', and his lack of mastery in the sciences of hadith compared to specialists. Sheikh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyya (may Allah have mercy on him) and his student Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) commented on his works in detail, recognizing certain of his merits while correcting his errors in matters of 'aqida and tasawwuf. Adh-Dhahabi (may Allah have mercy on him) also paid tribute to his intelligence and piety while noting his excesses in philosophy and Sufism.

His death: He returned to Tus where he died in 505 H (1111). It is reported that his last words were imbued with submission to Allah. May Allah forgive him and have mercy on him.

His legacy: Al-Ghazali remains an inescapable figure of the intellectual history of Islam. His Tahafut al-Falasifa is a service rendered to the Umma by refuting the philosophers, even if his methodology in 'aqida has been criticized. His call to sincerity in worship, to the purification of the heart, and to the renunciation of this world remains a beneficial reminder. The wise Muslim takes from his works what is in conformity with the Quran and the Sunna, according to the understanding of the Salaf, and leaves aside what diverges from it, while making du'a for him.