Imam Ahmad Ghazali
Abu Hamid Muhammad, famous in the world of
learning as al-Ghazzali. The
Imam major Shafi‘i jerist, heresiographer and debater, expert in the principles
of doctrine and those of jurisprudence. He was born in 1058 AD (450 Hijri), in
"Tus" (Khorasan province of Iran). Imam
al-Ghazzali was fondly referred to as the "Hujjat-ul-lslam", Proof of
Islam, He is honoured as a scholar and a saint by learned men all over the
world.
He was formally schooled in
his early adulthood, studying under al-Juwayni, a prominent theologian located
in Nishapur. During this period, the young Imam Ghazali produced various texts
on Islamic law and theology, which are still used to this day.
Once his way back from Jurjan to Tus, Imam
Ghazzali was robbed by highwaymen. When they left him he followed them but was
told: "Leave us or you will die." He replied: "I ask you for
Allah’ sake to only return to me my notes, for they are of no use to you."
The robber asked him: "What are those notes?" He said: "Books in
that satchel, for the sake of which I left my country in order to hear, write,
and obtain their knowledge." The robber laughed and said: "How can
you claim that you obtained their knowledge when we took it away from you and
left you devoid of knowl-edge!" Then he gave an order and the satchel was
returned to him. Imam Ghazzali said: "This man’s utterance was divinely
inspired: Allah caused him to say this in order to guide me. When I reached Tus
I worked for three years until I had memorized all that I had written
down."
Imam Ghazzali came to Baghdad in 484 Hijri
and began a prestigious career of teaching, giving fatwa, and authoring books
in nearly all the Islamic sciences of his day. His skill in refuting opponents
was unparalleled except by his superlative godwariness, which led him to
abandon his teaching position at the Nizamiyya school four years later,
deputizing his brother Ahmad, famous for his preaching, to replace him. Upon
completion of pilgrimage to Makkah, Imam Ghazzali headed for Damascus, then
al-Qudus, then Damascus again where he remained for several years, taking up
the ascetic life with the words: "We sought after knowledge for other than
Allah’s sake, but He refused that it be for anything other than Him."
Imam Ghazali once said: "The Sufi path
consists in cleansing the heart from whatever is other than Allah. I
concluded that the Sufis are the seekers in Allah's Way, and their conduct is
the best conduct, and their way is the best way, and their manners are the most
sanctified. They have cleaned their hearts from other than Allah and they have
made them as pathways for rivers to run, carrying knowledge of Allah."
He came out of seclusion in 499 and travelled
to Cairo, Iskandariyya and other places, finally returning to Baghdad where he
taught his magnum opus Ihya Ulum al-Din until his death in nearby Tus,
occupying the remainder of his time with devotions, Qur’an recitations, prayer
and fasting, and the company of Sufis.
Al-Ghazali died at Tabran in Jamadi al Ukhra 505
AH at the age of 55 years. Ibn al-Jawzee narrated in al-Thabat
‘Inda al-Mamat ("Firmness at the Time of Death") from
al-Ghazzali’s brother Ahmad: "On Monday [14 Jumada al-Akhira] at the time
of the dawn prayer my brother Abu Hamid made his ablution, prayed, then said:
‘Bring me my shroud.’ He took it, kissed it and put it on his eyes, saying: ‘We
hear and obey in readiness to enter the King’s presence.’ Then he stretched his
legs, facing the Qibla, and died before sunrise – may Allah sanctify his
soul!"
" It
is related that al-Shadhili saw a dream in which the Holy Prophet pointed out
Imam Ghazzali to Musa (Moses) and Isa (Jesus) asking them: "Is there such
a wise scholar in your communities?" to which they replied:
"No."
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