Photo: Sotheby’s – Ihya Ulum Al-Din (‘The Revival of the Religious Sciences’), Volume IV, Al-Munijat (‘the ways of salvation’), Copied by ‘Ali Ibn Musa bin Muhammad (known as ‘Ibn al-Qabbuni’), Near East, dated Sunday 24 Sha’ban 821 AH/1418-9 AD He soon became one of the greatest thinkers in his era which gave rise to the spiritual and intellectual birth of the likes of Salah al Din al Ayyubi (may Allah have mercy on him) to bring back honor to what Muslims had forsaken. In the spirit of reviving the objectives of sacred knowledge, he became a reformer & revivalist. People had forgotten what the objective of sacred knowledge was. He saw that the goal of these sacred sciences had dwindled to debate, seeking fame and position. While in seclusion, he wrote his masterpiece Ihya Ulum al Din – Revival of the Sciences of Faith. He traveled to Damascus, Jerusalem, Makkah & Madinah. It is in this climate that he secluded himself from people – traveling extensively for 10 years. Imam al Ghazali had mastered the Islamic sciences and disciplines but even then he felt that there was a void which didn’t provide answers to the troubles of his generation. It was a time of deep questioning and there was a spiritual void for many in the Muslim world. He lived in a time when the crusaders ravaged and overtook Muslim lands and massacred Muslims.
He questioned his faith to the point of doubting for two entire months. led him to start questioning his own beliefs. He debates with those of other faiths, philosophers, Christians, Jewish scholars and those of other sects like the Batiniyyah etc. He reached fame in debate and grandeur to the realization that fame leaves an emptiness. He was given position & status by the leaders of his time and given a space to teach in one of the greatest institutions which graduated intellectuals of his era al Madrasat al Nidhamiyyah. In his early years he studied under one of the greatest scholars in his time, the Imam of the Two Holy Sanctuaries, al Juwayni (may Allah have mercy on him).
His books are filled with him relating his experience, much of which we see mimicked in the life of many Muslims today as well as facing similar situations like those of his time.
In our regular reading of Imam Abu Hamid Muhammad Bin Muhammad al Ghazali’s (may Allah have mercy on him) works with one of our scholars – we were discussing extensively the life of the Imam and the need to look deeply at his spiritual and intellectual journey, especially in our time.
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