in his cloak; at that moment he hears the call of the Truth: “O you who are wrapped up!” and “O you who are shrouded!”

I say: The Master of creation only heard the words “O you who are wrapped up” from Gabriel on behalf of Allah, whereas this fool has never heard the call of the Truth at all; rather, what he heard was a devil—or else something with no reality whatsoever, the idle fancy of a fevered mind. Success lies in clinging to the sunnah and the consensus.

Abu Bakr al-Turtushi said: “Abu Hamid packed the Ihya with lies against the Messenger of Allah—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—so much so that I know of no book on the face of the earth more mendacious than it. He then intertwined it with the doctrines of the philosophers and with the themes of the Epistles of the Brethren of Purity, a group who hold that prophethood can be acquired and who claim that miracles are nothing but tricks and sleight of hand.”

Ibn ʿAsakir (1) said: “Abu Hamid performed the pilgrimage and remained in Syria for roughly ten years. During that time he wrote books and imposed rigorous spiritual discipline upon himself. His lodging in Damascus was in the western minaret of the congregational mosque. He studied Sahih al-Bukhari with Abu Sahl al-Hafsi, and he arrived in Damascus in 489 AH.”

Ibn Khallikan said: “The Nizam appointed him to the teaching post at his madrasa in Baghdad in 484 AH; he resigned from it in 488 AH, adopted an ascetic life, performed the pilgrimage, and spent a period in Damascus at the western zawiya. He then moved to Jerusalem and devoted himself to worship, after which he set out for Egypt and stayed for some time in Alexandria. It was said that he intended to proceed to Yusuf ibn Tashfin, the ruler of Marrakesh, but news of the latter’s death reached him. He then returned to Tus and composed al-Basit, al-Wasit, al-Wajiz, al-Khulasa and the Ihya. He also authored al-Mustasfa in the principles of jurisprudence, al-Mankhul, al-Lubab, al-Muntaḥil fi al-Jadal, and Tahafut al-Falasifah.”