Imam al-Ghazzali            

Imam al-Ghazzali (RA) was born in the year 450 Hijri according to 1058 AD in the city of Tus, Khorasan province of Iran. His father’s name was Muhammad al-Ghazali. The literal meaning of the word ghazal is spinning. According to some people from the clan of Imam Ghazali probably traded in yarn, hence their surname is known as Ghazali. This great man died on 19th December 1111 AD corresponding to 505 Hijri year in his hometown Tus city. According to history, on the day of his death, he performed the Fajr prayer took the shroud from his brother put on the shroud with his own hands, and lay down facing the Qibla. This is how this great philosopher left this mortal world. He was buried next to the tomb of Iran’s immortal poet Ferdowsi. This is very common.

Childhood, Adolescence, and Education

Imam al-Ghazzali (RA) lost his father when he was young. He spent his education and childhood in the city of Tus. Imam al-Ghazali (r.a.) spent several years with Imam al-Haramain al-Zawaini, the greatest theologian of his time. Imam Ghazali was born in the middle of the fifth century in a situation when Western and Greek philosophy was spreading. In that era, he got the kind of education that could have been a vehicle for worldly progress. He excelled in the knowledge that was in demand in the market. Then with this object, he reached exactly where it was made, and he reached as far as a scholar could imagine improvement at that time.

Career of Imam al-Ghazzali (RA).

Imam al-Ghazzali (Rah•) went to Baghdad in 484 Hijri at an advanced age. Imam al-Ghazzali (r.a.) attended the Nizamiyyah Madrasa, the then-highest school in Baghdad. He is one of the most memorable thinkers of all time on Muslim philosophy, fiqh, ilmul kalam (theology). Imam al-Ghazzali (RA) had an immense thirst for spiritual knowledge. Teaching at the Nizamiya Madrasa could not quench his thirst for knowledge. So within a short time, he left teaching at the Nizamiya Madrasa and set out on the path to search for the mysteries of creation. For about ten years he traveled to different parts of the world and finally, he was appointed rector of Nejamia University in Baghdad, the largest university in the world at that time. Nezamul Mulk Tusi Malik Shah Saljuki and the caliphate of Baghdad obtained a worthy seat.

So influential was he in contemporary politics that his services were sought to bridge the gap between the Saljuq rulers and the Abbasid caliphs. After reaching this stage of worldly progress, revolution comes suddenly in life. The more deeply he observes the theoretical, moral, religious, political, and contemporary lifestyles of his age, The more the fire of rebellion burns within him and the more conscience begins to voice that it is not your job to swim in this pearly sea, your job is something else. Finally, he threw away all royal dignity, gain, profit, and dignified work in disgust. Because they were the ones who put chains on his feet.

Then he went out to travel the country in the guise of a fakir. Sit in forests and secluded places and meditate quietly. He closely observed their way of life by associating with ordinary Muslims in different areas. He came out at the age of 38 and returned after a full ten years at the age of 48. After that long thought and observation, what Imam al-Ghazzali (R.A.H.) performed was that he severed relations with the kings. And stopped taking their masohara.

He swore to stay away from disputes and hatred. He refused to work in educational institutions run under government influence and set up his own independent institution in Tus. Through this institution, he wanted to train selected people especially. But perhaps his efforts did not accomplish any great revolutionary work, for his life span did not allow him more than five or six years to work in this manner.

Social life reform work

After studying Greek philosophy in depth, Imam al-Ghazzali (RA) criticized it and strongly criticized it, saying that its excellence and power which had overwhelmed the Muslims were diminished and the doctrines that people accepted as absolute truths. By molding the teachings of the Qur’an and the Hadith, which saw no other way to save the religion, its true face was exposed to a large extent before the people. The influence of Imam’s criticism was not limited to Muslim countries but reached Europe and participated in ending the authority of Greek philosophy and ushering in the modern era of criticism and research.

Imam al-Ghazzali (RA) was born in the year 450 Hijri according to 1058 AD in the city of Tus in the Khorasan province of Iran. A thorough review of the moral character of the people. Imam al-Ghazzali (RA) had the opportunity to study the lifestyles of Ulama, Mashaikh, Amir-Umrah, Kings and common people. He traveled and witnessed the condition of a part of the Eastern world. His book Ehiya-ul-Ulum is the result of this study.