Inspired Knowledge in Islamic Thought: Al-Ghazali's Theory of Mystical Cognition and Its Avicennian Foundation / Edition 1

by Alexander Treiger

Overview

It has been customary to see the Muslim theologian Abu Hamid al-Ghazali (d. 1111) as a vehement critic of philosophy, who rejected it in favour of Islamic mysticism (Sufism), a view which has come under increased scrutiny in recent years.

This book argues that al-Ghazali was, instead, one of the greatest popularisers of philosophy in medieval Islam. The author supplies new evidence showing that al-Ghazali was indebted to philosophy in his theory of mystical cognition and his eschatology, and that, moreover, in these two areas he accepted even those philosophical teachings which he ostensibly criticized. Through careful translation into English and detailed discussion of more than 80 key passages (with many more surveyed throughout the book), the author shows how al-Ghazali’s understanding of "mystical cognition" is patterned after the philosophyof Avicenna (d. 1037). Arguing that despite overt criticism, al-Ghazali never rejected Avicennian philosophy and that his mysticism itself is grounded in Avicenna’s teachings, the book offers a clear and systematic presentation of al-Ghazali’s "philosophical mysticism."

Challenging popular assumptions about one of the greatest Muslim theologians of all time, this is an important reference for scholars and laymen interested in Islamic theology and in the relations between philosophy and mysticism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781138789425
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	03/21/2014
Series:	Culture and Civilization in the Middle East
Pages:	200
Product dimensions:	6.12(w) x 9.19(h) x (d)

About the Author

Alexander Treiger is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada. His research focuses on Islamic theology, Arabic philosophy, and Syriac and Arabic Christianity, with emphasis on the transmission of theological and mystical ideas from Late Antiquity to early Islam.

Table of Contents

Introduction: A New Paradigm in Ghazālian Studies 1. Heart, Intelligence, Knowledge 2. The Science of Unveiling 3. Tasting and Witnessing 4. Inspiration and Revelation 5. Al-Ghazālī and the Philosophical Tradition. Conclusion

Editorial Reviews

"This book deserves the full attention of all specialists in the field."
Jules Janssens, Catholic University Leuven, Belgium
Journal of the American Oriental Society 135.2 (2015)

From the Publisher