Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali

Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali was one of the most prominent and influential Muslim scholars of the 11th century. He was born in Tus, a town in the province of Khorasan in Iran, in 1058 CE. He belonged to a Persian family of modest means and received his early education in his hometown. He then moved to Nishapur, where he studied under the famous theologian and jurist Imam al-Haramayn al-Juwayni. He excelled in various fields of Islamic sciences, such as jurisprudence, theology, philosophy and logic. He also became well-versed in the doctrines of the Ismaili Shiites, who were a powerful political force at that time. In 1091 CE, he was appointed as the chief professor at the Nizamiyya College in Baghdad by the Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk. This was the most prestigious academic position in the Muslim world and al-Ghazali gained fame and respect for his lectures and writings. He also engaged in debates and polemics with various groups and sects, such as the philosophers, the Ismailis, the Mu'tazilites and the Ash'arites. He wrote several books to refute their views and defend the orthodox Sunni creed. Some of his most famous works are The Aims of the Philosophers (Maqasid al-Falasifa), The Incoherence of the Philosophers (Tahafut al-Falasifa), The Just Mean in Belief (Al-Iqtisad fi al-I'tiqad) and The Niche for Lights (Mishkat al-Anwar). However, al-Ghazali also experienced a spiritual crisis that made him question his own knowledge and certainty. He felt a sense of emptiness and anxiety that paralyzed him from teaching and writing. He decided to abandon his career and worldly pursuits and embark on a journey of seeking God and purifying his soul. He left Baghdad in 1095 CE and traveled to various places, such as Damascus, Jerusalem and Mecca. He adopted the life of a Sufi ascetic and practiced various forms of worship and meditation. He also studied the works of the Sufi masters and learned from their experiences. After spending about ten years in seclusion and travel, al-Ghazali returned to teaching at the Nizamiyya College in Nishapur in 1106 CE. He was persuaded by his friends and students to resume his academic role and share his insights with them. He also wrote his magnum opus, The Revival of the Religious Sciences (Ihya Ulum al-Din), which is a comprehensive work on Islamic ethics, spirituality and practice. In this work, he integrated the rational sciences with the mystical sciences and showed how they complement each other. He also addressed various issues that Muslims faced in their personal and social lives and offered guidance based on the Quran and Sunnah. Al-Ghazali died in 1111 CE in Tus, where he was buried. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest Muslim thinkers and reformers of all time. He is also known as Hujjat al-Islam (The Proof of Islam) and Zayn al-Din (The Ornament of Religion) for his contributions to the Islamic faith. He is revered by both Sunnis and Shiites and his works have been translated into many languages and studied by scholars and laypeople alike. He is also considered as a pioneer of Islamic philosophy, theology, jurisprudence, logic, psychology and education. He influenced many later Muslim thinkers, such as Ibn Rushd, Ibn Tufayl, Ibn Arabi, Maimonides, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, al-Nawawi, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Khaldun and many others. ¹² [^10^] ¹¹⁴