MA
DISSERTATION –SEPTEMBER 2000
AL-G
(Copyright © 2000-2006, P.A.W. Greenland)
‘The
Spirituality of Abu Hamid Muhammad al-Ghazali (1058-1111CE). An examination of
al-Ghazali’s writing and teaching and its relevance for the Islamic Community
in the contemporary world’.
Abu
Hamid al-Ghazali (1058-1111 CE) is regarded by
scholars as an Islamic intellectual giant. The dissertation seeks first to
examine his work in presenting an argument for Ghazali’s personal spirituality
and influence both for Islamic scholarship and the Muslim community (ummah). Second, it disagrees with the view that Ghazali was a mystic. Instead it is submitted that Ghazali was a superbly gifted theologian who enabled others
to become mystics. His magnum opus, The Revival of The
Religious Sciences (Ihya ulum al-din), and spiritual autobiography, Deliverance
from Error (al-Munqidh min ad-Dalal), are
demonstrated as the fundamental texts from which a basic thesis can be made
about Ghazali’s spirituality. But he was also accused of deliberately writing
divergent views on the same subjects for different people. Although this is
shown to be a correct view it is argued that it was not from any malicious
intention. Instead Ghazali wanted all Muslims to know
that they only have one lifestyle choice, which is adhering to the Islamic law
(Shari’a).
Ghazali’s undoubted
achievement was the reconciliation of orthodox Sunni theology with Sufi (Tasawwuf) mysticism. First, by instructing Muslims
to adhere to orthodox tenets, especially the Five Pillars of Faith (Arkan). Second, teaching that every outward (zahir) act or intention (Niyya
or Riyan) has an inner (batin)
meaning both for individual and ummah
betterment. Through Ukhuwwa (‘Loving Contracts
of the Heart’) Ghazali taught that batin actions form a social ‘glue’ which holds
Muslims together in love and respect. The contemporary era threatens these
ideals especially with the dislocation of the traditional nuclear family. But
it is advanced that the benefits of the current age including
the Internet offers the opportunity for a global ummah
founded on Ukhuwwa. From Ghazali’s
texts and web sites it is demonstrated that through ‘non-history’ his guidance
is always available. In essence Ghazali’s spirituality
is not the Platonic idea of Rationalism without Reason and which now includes
modern secularism. Instead Ghazali taught through
Islamic Reason that God exists because God is God who must be praised and
obeyed in any period of time.
The Dissertation may also be downloaded as a pdf
document (401 Kb) from Dissertation
on the 11th century philosopher al-Ghazali
Dissertation retained as submitted by Peter Greenland for King Alfred College’s
(now the University of Winchester) MA Board
in August 2000
(The Winchester Al-Ghazali Site was originally called ‘Peter Greenland’s
Web Site’ published on BT Internet in 1999)
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