Sirah – Brief History of Al-Ghazali SS1 Islamic Studies Lesson Note

Al-Ghazali was a very important Muslim thinker who lived about 900 years ago (1058-1111 CE). His full name was Abu Hamid Muhammad ibn Muhammad al-Ghazali. He was born in a town called Tus, which is now in modern-day Iran. People often called him “Hujjat al-Islam,” which means “Proof of Islam.” This shows how much people respected him and his ideas.

Early Life and Education

Al-Ghazali grew up as a poor boy. His father died when he was young. Before his father died, he asked a friend to teach his sons. This friend taught Al-Ghazali and his brother Ahmed. Al-Ghazali was very smart and learned quickly.

As a young man, Al-Ghazali went to many schools. He studied in his hometown first. Then he went to a city called Nishapur to learn more. Later, he traveled to a place called Gorgan to study with more teachers. He was eager to learn everything he could about Islam and how to think deeply about big questions.

His Work as a Teacher

Al-Ghazali became very famous for being smart. When he was about 33 years old, he got a very important job. He became the head teacher at the Nizamiyyah school in Baghdad. This was one of the best schools in the Muslim world at that time. Many students came to hear him teach.

He taught about Islamic law (fiqh), how to think clearly (logic), and how to understand religion deeply. People said he was an amazing teacher who could explain hard ideas in ways that were easy to understand.

His Life Crisis

Even though Al-Ghazali was famous and successful, he was not happy. When he was about 38 years old, he had a big crisis. He started to wonder if what he knew was really true. He worried that he was teaching just to be famous, not to help people find truth.

This crisis made him so upset that he became sick. He could not eat or speak well for almost two months. Then he made a big decision. He gave up his important job, gave away most of his money, and left Baghdad.

His Journey and Search for Truth

Al-Ghazali dressed like a poor traveler and went on a journey that lasted about 10 years. He visited Damascus, Jerusalem, Hebron, and Mecca. During this time, he lived simply and spent many hours praying, thinking, and writing.

This time away from being famous helped him find peace. He learned that just knowing facts was not enough. He needed to feel truth in his heart, not just understand it with his mind.

His Most Famous Books

During his journey and after, Al-Ghazali wrote many important books. His most famous work is called “Ihya Ulum al-Din” (The Revival of Religious Sciences). This huge book has four main parts:

1. Acts of worship
2. Customs of daily life
3. Things that destroy the soul
4. Things that save the soul

Another famous book he wrote is called “The Incoherence of the Philosophers.” In this book, he argued against some Greek ideas that he thought went against Islamic teaching.

He also wrote “Deliverance from Error,” which tells the story of his own search for truth. This book shows how he thought about different ideas before finding his own path.

His Return to Teaching

After about 10 years away, Al-Ghazali went back to teaching. But he was different now. He taught with more care for his students’ hearts, not just their minds. He wanted to help people become better Muslims in how they lived, not just in what they knew.

He spent his last years teaching in his hometown of Tus. He also started a small school for students who wanted to learn about both knowledge and spiritual growth.

Why Al-Ghazali Matters

Al-Ghazali changed how Muslims think about their religion in many ways:

1. He helped bring together two different ways of being Muslim. Some Muslims focused on following rules exactly. Others focused on loving God with their hearts. Al-Ghazali showed that both were important.
2. He explained why it matters to be a good person, not just to do the right things. He taught that cleaning your heart of bad feelings is just as important as praying correctly.
3. He showed that doubting and asking questions can be part of the journey to stronger faith. His own story of doubt and searching helped many others who had similar questions.
4. He wrote in a way that ordinary people could understand, not just scholars. This helped more people learn about Islamic ideas.

Al-Ghazali’s Last Days

Al-Ghazali died in his hometown of Tus in the year 1111 CE. He was about 53 years old. On the day he died, he woke up early, prayed, and then asked his family to prepare for his death. He died peacefully that same day.

After his death, many Muslims continued to read his books and follow his teachings. Even today, more than 900 years later, students still study what Al-Ghazali wrote because his ideas about balancing mind and heart in religion still help people.

His Lasting Impact

Al-Ghazali’s ideas spread far beyond the Muslim world. Some of his books were translated into Latin and Hebrew. Christian and Jewish thinkers read his work and were influenced by his ideas.

Today, Al-Ghazali is still considered one of the most important Muslim thinkers ever. His books are still read in universities around the world. His ideas about how faith and reason work together continue to help people think about their own beliefs.

Many modern Muslims look to Al-Ghazali when they want to understand how traditional Islamic beliefs can still matter in today’s world. His journey from doubt to faith speaks to people who have their own questions about religion.

In many ways, Al-Ghazali built a bridge between different ways of thinking about Islam. This bridge still helps people cross from simple following of rules to deeper understanding of what those rules are for – helping humans live good lives that please God.