ABU HAMID AL-GHAZALI

[Dani]

ABU HAMID AL-GHAZALI
(1058 - 1128 C.E.)



Al-Ghazali is most famous for his contributions in philosophy, religion and Sufism. He is also known as Algazel in the West. Abu Hamid Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muhammad al-Tusi al-Shafi'i al-Ghazali was born in 1058 C.E. in Khorman, Iran. His father died while he was still very young but he had the opportunity of getting education in the prevalent curriculum at Nishapur and Baghdad. Soon he acquired a high standard of scholarship in religion and philosophy and was honored by his appointment as a Professor at the Nizamiyah University of Baghdad, which was recognized as one of the most reputed institutions of learning in the golden era of Muslim history.

After a few years, however, he gave up his academic pursuits and worldly interests and became a wandering ascetic. This was a process (period) of mystical transformation. Later, he resumed his teaching duties, but again left these. An era of solitary life, devoted to contemplation and writing then ensued, which led to the authorship of a number of everlasting books. He died in 1128 C.E. at Baghdad.

Al-Ghazali made major contributions in religion, philosophy and Sufism. A number of Muslim philosophers had been following and developing several viewpoints of Greek philosophy, including the Neoplatonic philosophy, and this was leading to conflict with several Islamic teachings. On the other hand, the movement of sufism was assuming such excessive proportions as to avoid observance of obligatory prayers and duties of Islam. Based on his unquestionable scholarship and personal mystical experience, Ghazali sought to rectify these trends, both in philosophy and sufism.

In philosophy, Al-Ghazali upheld the approach of mathematics and exact sciences as essentially correct. However, he adopted the techniques of Aristotelian logic and the Neoplatonic procedures and employed these very tools to lay bare the flaws and lacunas of the then prevalent Neoplatonic philosophy and to diminish the negative influences of Aristotelianism and excessive rationalism. In contrast to some of the Muslim philosophers, e.g., Farabi, he portrayed the inability of reason to comprehend the absolute and the infinite. Reason could not transcend the finite and was limited to the observation of the relative. Also, several Muslim philosophers had held that the universe was finite in space but infinite in time. Ghazali argued that an infinite time was related to an infinite space. With his clarity of thought and force of argument, he was able to create a balance between religion and reason, and identified their respective spheres as being the infinite and the finite, respectively.

In religion, particularly mysticism, he cleansed the approach of sufism of its excesses and reestablished the authority of the orthodox religion. Yet, he stressed the importance of genuine sufism, which he maintained was the path to attain the absolute truth.

Al-Ghazali was a prolific writer. His immortal books include Tuhafat al-Falasifa (The Incoherence of the Philosophers), Ihya al-'Ulum al-Islamia (The Revival of the Religious Sciences), "The Beginning of Guidance and his Autobiography," "Deliverance from Error." Some of his works were translated into European languages in the Middle Ages. He also wrote a summary of astronomy.

Al-Ghazali's influence was deep and everlasting. He is one of the greatest theologians of Islam. His theological doctrines penetrated Europe, influenced Jewish and Christian Scholasticism and several of his arguments seem to have been adopted by St. Thomas Aquinas in order to similarly reestablish the authority of orthodox Christian religion in the West. So forceful was his argument in the favor of religion that he was accused of damaging the cause of philosophy and, in the Muslim Spain, Ibn Rushd (Averroes) wrote a rejoinder to his Tuhafut.

[Javanmard]

Even Ghazali who was one of the biggest exponents of Islamic thought...even he was Persian.....

We had great thinkers and Philosophers on both sides.......

so much was the legacy of the Sassanids that the people of Iran..even in conquest...out paced the Arabs in the philosophy of their own religion......

You see..there is no substitute for culture....and civilisation..you can change the religion of a people but the thought processes cannot be changed.....

[Dani]

Listen Javanmard
So what that he was Persian so what???

[cute]

:D . daa yana bittasini topibdi.

[Javanmard]

Why are you making all these posts?? Tell me what the purpose was..and I'll tell you why I am mentioning that they are Persian..:)

[Dani]

The piurpose of these posts because I think it will be useful for all to have general information about Muslim scholars! No matter who they were persian,Turk or Arab! We are all the children of One God!!!

[cute]

Man bilaman buni nimaga persian deb mention qilayotganini, bolapaqir bizani kuldurayapti. :& shahsan man 20 minuttan beri qotib o'tiribman. :D

[Dani]

Ulugbek yahshi sizga kulgi topilibdi:)))

[Javanmard]

They are not all "Islamic" they are Persian..then they are Islamic....

They are the product of thousands of years of Persian culture...Islam is just a drop in the Pan.....

You think all the abstract knowledge and thought of these great men was built on 300 years of Islam???

The Arab invaders stole all the Sassanid and Byzantine (Greek) books and translated them...all this so called "Islamic" Knowledge..is based on Pre-Islamic Persian and Greek science....

so don't call these men...Islamic thinkers...they are Persian thinkers...who just happened to be living in the Islamic Empire....

[Dani]

But Islam was stimulant factor was for this!!!
I know that Persian culture is great, but my purpose is not to diminish its significance, it is just to give general information about all Muslim scholars!!!Let me post to the end ! Don't disturb me please!!

[Javanmard]

Stimulant factor...:D don't make me laugh!!!

The only thing Islam stimulated was 1500 years of ignorance, and lack of any progress.......

[FREEMAN]

javanmard free ur mind, gazzali is a famous person , hammamizga keray bu odamni urganish, etiroz qimayla, and no discusiion plz...

[Javanmard]

You guys are still not getting it...if you get a Persian guy who is a scholar and his speciality is Islam then you can maybe argue he is an Islamic Scholar....

But if you get a Persian guy who is a scholar in astronomy..then he is a Persian Astronomer....his religion is irrelevant....

[Parsi-baba]

what a guy...

he forgot to mention how a superiour religion replaced their old, spoilt, racist, currupted one: zoroastrianism

he forgot to mention how a Persian (who found Islam superiour to the culture of his forefathers) himself was at the forefront at the downfall of the sassanids.

he forgot how a Persian betrayed other Muslims to the Mongols and led to the downfall of Baghdad.

hey javandude,

u should also mention how the "great" persians always end up getting their arses kicked by everyone around them... i guess u guys were to busy being creative and inventive, no?

in order, who kicked the persian arse

1. ?Hun Turkleri?
1. greeks
2. romans
3. Hun Turkleri again
4. arabs
5. turks->ghaznevi
6. arabs
7. turks ->rum seljuk
8. mongols
9. turks ->osmanli
10. turks ->amir timur
11. turks ->osmanli again
12. pashtun
13. ?Taliban?

other notables... russians, americans, iraq....

yes javanmard,

SAME OLD PERSIANS!

[nobody]

Please Parsi-baba don't post such things here. It will not bring to good results. As my old Iranian flatmate says " thats bad actually " because of some stupid guys whole nation can be blamed.

Sincerely Yours
nobody

[stud@]

Javanmard (Jun 10, 2001 12:09):
Why are you making all these posts?? Tell me what the purpose was..and I'll tell you why I am mentioning that they are Persian..:)

so Javanmard, if someone is good, that's only because of his nationality you mean right?!-:)

have you ever read about Ghazali? have you ever read at least his work 'Ihyaa ulumid-diyn'?? do you have any idea, what thoughts he promoted???

just an advise, go to the library and read more about this gereat scholar, who was MUSLIM and contributed to ISLAMIC theology,

wonder if you can find any facts of him stating his 'persian' origins or being proud of his 'origins' - NO, he was proud being MUSLIM, that's it!

go and drink some sharab if yo cannot face the truth -;)

[Javanmard]

You know what the truth is...

The truth is you people are nothing..will never be anything...just talk too much and give your religion lip service....

I know almost all of you drink..look at porn....look at girls...but you still pretend....

I am just being honest..but you guys (like all so-called muslims) are hypocrites...

Look at this guy Dani...posting all this crap about so-called Islamic scientists....for what?? What is the benefit of posting this on an Uzbek forum??? the only benefit is to make him feel better about himself...

This guy thinks God is a moron who gives "points" to you every time you say "Laillahaillallah"!!!!!

Really Dani, what is the point..of spamming the board with Encyclopedia references??? Is it to impress your Hizb ut tahriri Paki friends????

Think about that for a second...think about why you laugh and mock anybody who disagrees with you....you cannot discuss anything without calling people mentally sick, or lost,

You think you know about Islam..you think you know more about Islam than me????? I used to pray 5 times a day...for years..until the truth became apparent...that slavery to religion makes you just that..a slave to a religion that will not change.

[FREEMAN]

hmm janmavard, ur ideas r interesting, hmmmm, yea very very interesting.... cool , take care

[Dani]

Javanmard

What right you have to blame me for something?Yes I eat pork, watch the porn so what??? Who cares? If I answer before God ,this is my personal matter.And I did not say that God will give to people who say La Iahi Il Allah ,give me the facts? give me? Prove me !!!! Prove me that Hizbut-t-tahrir my friends prove ? If oyu write something ,write it so afterwards you should be able to prove it OK? I am lawyer and I need evidences.I am not writing this posts for you stupid opinion OK? I am writing them for general information.And If you do not like them don't read them.Do not raise nationalistic quarrel here.If you prayed 5 times in a day and now you understood it was all lie,so what do you expect from God to give you money or happiness if you pray ??? Remember God does not owe you anything.And if you pray this is your personal matter,you are not doing it for public.And please do not criticise Islam here because of some stupid Talibans or Hizbut-tahrir and Homaini not every Muslim in the world is like them.Please do not insult Islam if you were dissatisfied with it.God is not a bank to give you money when you ask.You said that we are nothing so what are you then.Look at Iran it is the most intolerant country in the world,thay suppress zoroastrians,christiians and everybody who disatisfy with them.After your posts the shade of shame falls on your nation.And do not insult Neo like **** your mother,by this you are showing what bastard and down person you are.You are blind.and you will never be able to see what the light is.

Sincerely Dani

[FREEMAN]

yeaaahh dani u r right, am sorry for supporting javnmard :( take care...

[Parsi-baba]

im sorry nobody,

but Javanmard is not a normal guy. He seems to be seriously messed up in the head. Hey javanmard, were u dropped as a baby? or are u a pure persian inbred?

I have been reading all of the other posts that he was involved in, and the only thing i see is that he and his friend Iranyar have been doing is promoting nazi-like persian nationalism, promoting hatred towards groups like anatolian turks and arabs, and deriding islam.

His talk is only persian or zoroastrian centered, and i have seen nothing positive come out of him.

[javanmard]

First of all Parsi-baba,

you are not trying to understand what I am saying...in fact..non of you are...

I am not trying to say that Persians are better than anybody..I am not saying that Persians are superior...

All I am trying to say is that one must remember someones nationality as well as someones religion...thats it...

You guys just can't take it though..you get so upset....which is really sad..

I'm sorry if I've hurt some feelings but you have to face up to the truth...which is that religion is not everything...there are some other things to be taken into account...

thankyou.

[Parsi-baba]

You take nationality above and beyond the call of duty.

To the point where its getting disgusting.

i only comment on what i see.

In your posts,

You have managed to insult

1. Islam < You are gonna argue with me that there is or was a better human being on this planet than the Hazrat Muhammad (S.A.W.) >?
2. Arabs < still carrying a grudge? >
3. other posters

secondly. Islam isnt just any "religion". It is a way of life that does take other things to account and gives you the right way to live.

Im not God, so i cannot tell you how to live your life.

But the One who sent down Islam is your Maker, so listen to him. Of course if you don't believe in Islam, then its your loss. Im not here to convert any of you, because im not responsible for any of you.

But refrain from attacking people becuase they have strong interest in Islam and ethnicity. just because i say "bismillah" or "la ilaha ilallah, muhammadoor rasoolallah", or "allahuakbar" it shouldnt make me or other practicing muslims terrorists.

[javanmard]

Well Parsi Baba,

I think you are looking at me through biased eyes...

I don't mean to insult Islam....and to be very honest I have nothing against Arabs themselves..but disagree that there culture is more important than my own. I have many, many Arab friends and even they are not as Hard core muslim as you!!!!!

About the Prophet...to be honest..if you go through research..you will see the the Prophet was not the man you believe him to be. There are many Hadiths from Bukhari, Muslim that tell you things about the Prophet that are much less than flattering. If you trully have an open mind....go to this website...www.golshan.com

and check it out...keeping an open mind.....just read it....and check all the references. If you are really a modern educated human being..you will at least give yourself a chance to see all the different arguments for and against..........

Pls. don't think I am trying to insult, Islam or the Prophet...I am just trying to get to the truth of the matter....blind faith will not help anybody now....

[Parsi-baba]

i have seen this stuff a million times over already.

In evangelist sites. In jewish sites. In hindu sites.

It doesnt work. all of the false charges can be answered easily. and golshan.com does not seem to be an unbiased site. its seems to me that it is run by persian nationalists who just hate arabs and anything that can be linked with arabs.

btw... i spoke with a Persian brother converted back to islam a few years back, including his parents, who were that loser reza shah's most ardent supporters. I have spoke with a dozens of american converts, black, white, hispanic, or far easterners, as well as middle easterners.

Think they accepted Islam blindly? Think there could be a reason why Islam is the fastest growing religion in the world, by birth AND conversion AND reversion?

That - "Islam was spread by the sword" - excuse just won't cut it these days.

thanks anyways though.

regards,

everybody's baba

[Iranyar]

For the info of all people: most of these scientist were Iranian, which does not mean from contemporary Iran, but to the Iranian civilization. Many of them were central Asians, some where from todays Afghanistan ( actually from Bactrianna) these are fore example Naser Xosrow, Mowlan who migrated to Anatolia, and Sheiali Navoi from Herat. But in this case of Ghazali he was from the territory of contemporary Iran. even npn-Persian Iranians (in the larger sence) used Persian as lingua franca. So it is senceless to say whether he was Persian or not. The important thing was that we all people and you people of Central Asia are ofcourse my civilizational brothers, had a great sedentary civilization, beautiful cities and in them a lot of scientists. If this was onlty because of Islam then the bedouines or Arabs in desert should have flourished too. So this was not the case. Clearly here had been working the civilizatuional factors which made us distinguish from the outsiders (mainly Arabic and Turco-mongolic omads) I think Zoroastrian elemnts have had a big influence we (I meean we so also you) could build such a great civilization.

PS. Dani I wonder if you still are interested in Zoroastrianism?

Your friend
Iranyar

[ABU ABDULLAH]

YOU AR STUPID JAVANMARD, IRANYAR! YOUR CANTRY IS STUPID SHIA DONKIES! ISLAM CAME FROM ARABIA AND MAKE EVRYBODY MOSLEM! WE AR MAKE AGAEN EVRYBODY MOSLEM IN UZBAKISTAN,KAZAKSTAN,

WE WIL FIGHT, WE WIL MAKE JIHAD! BEFORE 1500 YAERS, WE KILL ZORASTRIN, WE KIL BUDDAS, WE TAKE EVRYTHING FOR MAKING ONE CANTRY! ISLAMIC CANTRY. FORGET THIS IRAN, MAJUS STUPIDS!

[hazratqul]

GENERALISSIMUS DANI (Jun 10, 2001 12:12):
The piurpose of these posts because I think it will be useful for all to have general information about Muslim scholars! No matter who they were persian,Turk or Arab! We are all the children of One God!!!

Dani!
Beparvo bulib jurakni keng tuting birodar, har khil tanqid va negativ fikrlarga etibor qilmang,ana shundaj maqolalarni ezavering! Barakalla. Tanqid qilish oson ularga ammo bir fikr ezish esa oson emas.

[Overloaded]

ABU ABDULLAH (Jun 26, 2001 23:21):
YOU AR STUPID JAVANMARD, IRANYAR! YOUR CANTRY IS STUPID SHIA DONKIES! ISLAM CAME FROM ARABIA AND MAKE EVRYBODY MOSLEM! WE AR MAKE AGAEN EVRYBODY MOSLEM IN UZBAKISTAN,KAZAKSTAN,

WE WIL FIGHT, WE WIL MAKE JIHAD! BEFORE 1500 YAERS, WE KILL ZORASTRIN, WE KIL BUDDAS, WE TAKE EVRYTHING FOR MAKING ONE CANTRY! ISLAMIC CANTRY. FORGET THIS IRAN, MAJUS STUPIDS!

Huh!
It sounds very convincing.

[Me]

To Javanmard("Abu Abdullah")

I wander how much you get paid for visiting this forum and posting all your worthless opinions..and most of allplaying with forum readers by using two nick names at the same time. You must get paid nicely to accomplish all this!!

P.S. to tell the truth your posts are like"sticking your nose into a wrong place..be carefull doors may get closed and your nose will be hurt

[Seneca Jr]

Guys, we have a such a different maps of the world.
But pls, remember that map is not a teritory, esp you Javanmardude.

[ABU ABDULLAH]

ME SHUTAP!! YOUR A DONKEY! WHY YOU SAY IM JAVANMARD! YOU THENK I DONT NOW ENGLISH! NOBODY PAY ME SAY THE TRUTHS! IF YOU AR MOSLEM YOU WEL WITH ME! YOUR MY BROTHAR!

[wolf]

freeman :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D :-D

[AnArab]

Slaaam Alaykom,
for you Javanmard and anyone who questions islam and Moahmmad (PBUH), the following site is very useful

This site tries to prompt awarness of Islam agains orinatilism and western misconception of Islam

http://www.islamic-awareness.org/

[man]

It is because of these rotten foundations and disastrous results of philosophy that geniuses from among the Muslim philosophers like Ibn-i Sina and Farabi were charmed by its apparent glitter and were deceived into taking this way, and thus attained only the rank of an ordinary believer. Hujjat al-Islam al-Ghazzali did not accord them that rank, even.

http://www.sozler.com.tr/risnur/words/w30.htm