Imam Ghazali

Author= B. Sheik Ali

Publisher= Knowledge Society Publications, Mysore.

Year Of Publication= 2008

Price= Rs 200                        Pages= 157

Imam Ghazali is one of the shining stars of Islamic history. Hujjat Ul Islam who refuted the Greek Philosophy, Rhetoric and Logic in a crucial era when it was intellectually sweeping over the whole Muslim Empire, with common masses in general and Muslim Thinkers in particular falling prey to its fallacies due to blind imitation. It was holding a strong grip over minds of Muslims resulting in inferiority complex or ill founded critique of the same as response. The need of the hour was to find grounds for strong critique of this alien pantheist philosophy which was eating away the intellectual vitals of the Muslim Society and Religion, it was at this nick of time Imam Ghazali rose to a prominence by his irrefutable devastating critique of fallacies of Greek Philosophy which culminated in restoration of shaky faith in the everlasting message and principles of Islam.

The present book under review by a prominent historian deals with this aspect in addition to certain others. The book is divided into ten chapters, each can be read separately and each is unique, lucid, scholarly and well versed to make the reader understand the niceties and complexities of difficult concepts in few easy sentences. The merit of the book lies in its interpretation of the difficult philosophic phenomenon in easy comprehensive language but every precaution has been taken not to over simplify philosophy too much. Two chapters are dedicated to Ahya Ul Uloom and Mishkat Ul Anwar well known scholarly and famed books of Ghazali.

Ghazali was not only scholar-philosopher in its normatic terms buried under heavy tomes, hair splitting in his cozy cocoon but was a practicing, practical being and a social reformer too to which the learned author has remarked time and again in his book. During Ghazali’s times “The learned were crazy for high positions. They were lost in just three dominions. The first was discourse, debates and discussions. Second was such sermons as would please the public. The third was passing decrees which would confer heresy. Reformation in this sector was the main job of Imam Ghazali” (P-21-22). Ghazali was critical of the dictatorships, monarchy and politics going on during his times and felt the growing resentment, revolt, restlessness among the masses was because of the absence of liberty “People do not have the freedom to point out the defects in the system; they are not allowed even to open their mouth. He thought the need of the hour was to protest against the misrule, to point out what was wrong, and prevent further decline and downfall. Imam Saheb took up the case of explaining what the rights and duties of the Sultans were, as also of the public” (P-147).

The practicability of Ghazali’s reforms came to fore when Mohammad Bin Abdulla Toomrath, his student founded the Mohidin dynasty in Spain based on Ghazali’s State Craft. It implemented all the ideas of Imam Ghazali. Thus even, in political sector Ghazali was successful not only in preaching an ideal state but also creating one as a model.

The contribution of Ghazali to Sufism can’t also be undermined, but he was a reformer in this field also and his Sufism is all together different from what is understood by the Traditional Sufism as in ‘Sufism action leads to knowledge whereas in theology knowledge leads to action’. His Sufism was unique as well as different because it didn’t lead to renunciation of the world, becoming a parasite and a non contributing burden on Society but “it calls for active life mainly in three areas, Love and devotion to God, service to humanity and development of good character. Ghazali is never for retreat or renunciation, disheartened spirit or helplessness” (P-25).

But Ghazali was not only a Sufi he was a scientist too so how to bridge the divide between the two? , as “Ghazali believed intuitive power is more important than reason and logic” (P-15). There is one important point more. Admitted that the path of the mystic and the path of science are both necessary. But which of these should come first? A man may start with the mystic disciple and then grow out of it and follow the path of reason and science; or a man may start with scientific pursuit and reach out of it into intuition. The question; which of the two is better, a mystic-scientist or scientist-mystic? Ghazali seems to be inclined to the second alternative and his personal life proves the value of this conclusion. He holds in the lives of Islamic Scholars and Intellectuals intuition and reason were inter-mixed, though reason preceded intuition. Ghazali says that he who attains intuitive insight after he has gone through intellectual discipline is the right sort of person, while he who traverses mystic path before undergoing that discipline is sure to be led astray and the history of mysticism amply bears out the truth of Ghazali’s judgment.

The book is a laudable and welcome addition about the contribution of Imam Ghazali, its practical implications and depth which can be gauged from the fact that “Ghazali has made an exhaustive survey of knowledge. He has not left any area unexplored. We could appreciate his methodology. He is as if offering us a power point presentation. Everything is so systematic, so numerical, so methodical and so beautifully analyzed. He has picked the pearls of wisdom sweeping the floor of oceans” (P-94).

This book is indispensable for anyone who needs an introduction and exposure to Ghazali, his thought, and its impact.

Mushtaq Ul Haq Ahmad Sikander is Writer-Activist and presently student of Masters Program of Political Science Kashmir University.



Tags: B. Sheik Ali