ALGHAZALI: AN INTELLECTUALMYSTIC

1
AL-GHAZALI AN INTELLECTUAL-MYSTIC

• THE BRIDGE BUILDER BETWEEN THE SHARIA AND TARIQA

2
DELIVERER FROM ERROR

• The Role of Doubt in Spiritual maturity
• Doubtis a State of Being rather than an Act of
  Will
• Doubt existentially is not so much an error in
  logic (which it is) as a mental disease
• Solution is to be restored by receiving fresh
  vitality from God, rather than syllogism

3
HUMAN STRUGGLE TO REMOVE DOUBT

• THEOLOGY - Can it cure a person from doubt?
• THEOLOGY - useless for truly independent mind
• THEOLOGY - did not protect from doubt-engendering
  atgumentation

4
CAN PHILOSOPHY CURE DOUBT?

• PHILOSOPHY - its triumphs in natural sphere, in
  mathematics and astronomy
• PHILOSOPHY - cannot seek out absolute truth
  beyond the natural sphere of mind and senses
• PHILOSOPHY - at the level of metaphysics lacks
  the indubitable convincing power

5
CAN NIZARI-ISMAILISM CURE DOUBT?

• HUMAN RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE INCOMMUNICABLE becomes
  accessible through a revealed authority of the
  Imam
• FOR ABSOLUTE TRUTH a decisive authority is needed
• IMAM relied on no positive proof but himself

6
CAN SUFISM CURE DOUBT?

• POPULIST SPIRIT OF ISLAM no human beings
  religion need be essentially better than
  anothers
• REVELTAION AND COMMUNITY made indispensable
• UNIVERSAL HUMAN EXPERIENCE OF DIVINE validated

7
GHAZALIS VIEW OF SUFISM

• REQUISITE CUMULATIVE EXPERIENCE MUST INCLUDE SOME
  TOUCH OF PROPHESYING
• CENTRALITY OF DREAMS
• FOCUS ON DEATH
• GRADED SOCIETY INTO THREE CLASSES

8
THREE CLASSES IN REVIVAL OF RELIGIOUS SCIENCES

• THOSE WHO BELIEVE THE TRUTH OF RELIGION WITHOUT
  QUESTIONING
• THOSE WHO LEARN REASONS FOR THEIR BELIEFS
• THOSE WHO DIRECTLY EXPERIENCE THE TRUTH