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Al-Ghazali
1058 CE – 1111 CE · Persia (Tus)sufi
Description
Al-Ghazali, (Persian: ابو حامد محمد ابن محمد غزالی توسی, romanized: Abū Ḥāmid Muḥammad ibn Muḥammad Ghazālī Ṭūsi, Latinized as Algazelus, was a Shafi'i Sunni Muslim Persian scholar and polymath. He is known as one of the most prominent and influential jurisconsults, legal theoreticians, muftis, philosophers, theologians, logicians and mystics in Islamic history.
Facts
| Title | Hujjat al-Islam ('Proof of Islam') |
| Born | c. 1058, Tus, Seljuk Empire |
| Died | 19 December 1111(1111-12-19) (aged 52–53), Tus, Seljuk Empire |
| Era | Islamic Golden Age |
| Region | Seljuk Empire (Nishapur), Abbasid Caliphate (Baghdad), Fatimid Caliphate (Jerusalem) / (Damascus) |
| Main interest(s) | Sufism, theology (kalam), philosophy, logic, Sharia, Islamic jurisprudence, Principles of Islamic jurisprudence |
| Notable work(s) | The Revival of Religious Sciences, The Aims of the Philosophers, The Incoherence of the Philosophers, The Alchemy of Happiness, The Moderation in Belief, The Condensed in Imam Shafi’i’s Jurisprudence, On Legal theory of Muslim Jurisprudence |
| Religion | Islam |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| School | Shafi’i |
| Creed | Ash'ari |
Life & work in brief
Summarised by section — one row per topic, for fast reading.
| Topic | Summary |
|---|---|
| School affiliations | Al-Ghazali contributed significantly to the development of a systematic view of Sufism and its integration and acceptance in mainstream Islam. |
| Decade of seclusion | In 1095, at the peak of his academic career as the leading scholar of the most prestigious institution in the Islamic world; Al-Ghazālī decided to step down to undertake a journey that would take the next 10 years of his life. |
| Works | A total of about 70 works can be attributed to al-Ghazali. |
| Influence | During his life, Al-Ghazali wrote over seventy books on science, Islamic philosophy, and Sufism. |
| Number of works | Al-Ghazali mentioned the number of his works "more than 70" in one of his letters to Sultan Sanjar in the late years of his life. |
| Economic philosophy | Al-Ghazali's economic philosophy was primarily influenced by his Islamic beliefs. |
| Reception of work | According to William Montgomery Watt, al-Ghazali was considered to be the mujaddid ("Reviver") of his age. |
Prophecies
Key prophetic utterances and visions attributed to Al-Ghazali, with sources.
| Prophecy / vision | Source |
|---|---|
| The Revival of the Religious Sciences — outward law wedded to inward light | Ihya Ulum al-Din |
| The Alchemy of Happiness: the heart polished to reflect the divine | Kimiya-yi Sa'adat |