He wrote numerous letters to ministers and the elite, bringing their attention towards their negligence and weaknesses. The main reason for the popularity and impact of his writings is this purity of intention.”īesides the writing of precious volumes for the betterment of the Muslims, Imam Muhammad Ghazali also stood up against injustice and erroneous practices in the courts of Muslim rulers. The great scholar of Islam, Ibne Taimiya, was a strong critic of Imam Ghazali and had differences of opinion with him, but still counts him among the greatest of the sincere Muslims. This sincerity of purpose shines through in his writings.Ībul-Hasan Ali Nadvi writes, “His purity of intention is acknowledged by friend and foe alike, and it leaps out of his writings. First he left the world for Allah’s sake, and then resumed his position for the same, in order to reform the Ummah. This was a real test that the Imam faced. It may be difficult for an ordinary person to comprehend, but the reality is that once a person is acquainted with the remembrance of Allah, His qualities and traits, and feels His presence through mystical experience, it becomes very hard for him to return to a normal worldly existence. Next was his return to the real world from his solitude in order to improve the lot of the Muslim masses. The Concern for the Reformation of the Ummah Thus, when the whole world was raving about his accomplishments and knowledge, the teacher of teachers Imam Ghazali was busy learning Ahadith as a serious student. Although he was an expert in the contemporary sciences taught in the Islamic world, he was still aware of his weak knowledge of Ahadith. He put aside his pride and ego and changed his course from the desire of the world to the desire for God. Hence we see that the Imam decided to forsake fame, position, honour, wealth and family to purify his soul. The last years of Imam Ghazali are a witness to the fact that he attained this lofty goal.” He once mentioned in his book that the last thing to leave the heart of a true believer is the love of position or glory in the world. Despite heavy persuasion he refused to attend the court of the dignitaries and was indifferent to all the honour bestowed upon him. He left an incredible example for mankind to follow – the model of uprightness and unswerving search for the truth.Ībul-Hasan Ali Nadvi comments, “This unrelenting pursuit of truth led Imam Ghazali away from the glamorous royal status and headed him towards years of solitude in the wilderness and deserts. Never was there a moment’s hesitation in carrying out the commands of Allah in Ibrahim’s life. This rank was bestowed upon him for his never-ending loyalty to Allah, and his amazing spirit of submission to the will of Allah, which led him to attempt to slaughter his beloved son when so ordered. Allah honoured him by calling him his Khalil (friend) and the Leader of future mankind. The Quran mentions the tremendous zeal exhibited by Ibrahim (AS), his worthy sacrifices and his selflessness.
It takes an extraordinary human being to go through such arduous ordeals.
He too purified his intention for the sole pleasure of Allah and was prepared to meet all kinds of hardships and adversities in his search for the truth. The same unrelenting pursuit of truth was present in the quest of Salman Farsi (RA), the Prophet’s beloved companion. Such people are willing to sacrifice personal glory, wealth, family, homeland, and anything else that comes in the way. When we read the account of Imam Ghazali’s life, it strikes us that Allah chooses those souls for his perceptive understanding whose intention is His exclusive pleasure. We discuss these qualities one by one in the following pages. A look at Imam Muhammad Ghazali’s life reveals some exceptional features, qualities which are hardly figured in personalities of historical fame.
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