Muhammad Al- Ghazali was considered one of the most celebrated scholars in history for exploring the concepts of reality and reasoning in Islamic thought. Ghazali’s unexpected abandonment of his professional position at the Nizamiyyah College and subsequent departure from Baghdad, came to be known in modern literature as the spiritual crisis of Al-Ghazali. At the very peak of his career he began to question his knowledge and power of reasoning as a way to truth. This essay examines the nature of Ghazali’s spiritual crisis and his approach to finding certainty and true human self.
He elaborates about his spiritual crisis in his autobiography Deliverance from Error where he questions the concept of reality. He observed that what one sees, hears and understands could often be an illusion, overtaken by some higher order of truth. He illustrates this dilemma, with an example of a star in the sky, which appears tiny to humans, but in reality is bigger in size than earth. Ghazali states that the reasoning we often use to make sense of day to day reality, may be an illusion and our senses can deceive us (Al-Ghazali and Sufism pdf. Slide 17). Knowledge based on such intellect, may only reach certainty in math and logic. He explains in his book, that his lifetime obsession with the quest for knowledge of truth had been challenged and he had to revisit the existing philosophies to get his answers. After examining the methods of the theologians, philosophers, Ismaillis and Sufis, Ghazali chose the method of Sufis as the right method for true attainment of knowledge. Their approach to truth and knowledge did not just come from intellect but from mystical experiences such as devotion, music, meditation and ascetic practices (Al-Ghazali and Sufism pdf. Slide 15). The method of Sufi’s, however had a prerequisite- one should abandon all worldly attachments such as fame, money and family affairs. Any deed which was not for the sake of Allah was irrelevant and would never be successful. Ghazali, connected with this mystical idea and decided to distance himself from worldly duties in his pursuit of Sufism.
Works Cited
Deliverance from Error. Pdf provided.
Al-Ghazali and Sufism. Pdf provided.
Sufism and Knowledge. Pdf provided.
