Hujjat al-Islam al-Ghazali

Al-Ghazali, the great Islamic scholar who lived10 centuries ago, was a
great example to all believers with his good moral values and his
exemplary life. He trained many students and done great services to
the Islamic world. Al Ghazali was born in Tus, Iran in 1058 when there
were serious conflicts in the Islamic world and the Andalusian Empire
was in a period of decline . In such challenging times, through his
books and lectures, he was the means for the enlightening of the
Islamic world.
Because he had such deep and profound knowledge, he was also known as
'Hujjat al-Islam" and ' Zauniddin ' which means the 'evidence of
Islam, proofthat Islam is the true religion'. Hujjat al-Islam also
means the person who memorized three hundred thousand hadiths with the
names of the reporting people. When he was still young,he went to
Baghdad upon the invitation of the then Seljuk vizier Nizam al-Mulk.
The scholars in the court were amazed to see the depth of knowledge
andeloquence in explaining matters. Nizam al-Mulk appointed him to the
Nizamiye Madrassah to act as the master, a position equivalent to
today's university rectors. During his tenure , Al Ghazali trained
many students and selected three hundred of the best and taught them
allthe necessary knowledge. His students included prominent Islamic
scholars such as Muhammad ibn Asad al-Tusi, Abu Mansur Muhammad, Abu
Abd Allah Jumart al-Hussaini, and Abu al-Hasan al-Balansi.
Al Ghazali is recognized for his vast knowledge not only by the
Islamic world, but also by Westerners as well. The knowledge of Al
Ghazali was advanced in every aspect compared to the European
scholars of his time. For instance, at a time when the Europeans
commonly believed that the earth was flat, Al Ghazali asserted that
the earth was round, that liver cleansed the blood of toxins and
microbes and the ratio of substances in the blood were vital to keep
it healthy, the latter two being facts included in today's physiology
books.
Not only this;, Al Ghazali wrote about many othersubjects in his
books, which are around 1,000. His books deal with Islam, Islamic
moral values and science in a way that can be clearly understood by
people ofevery age and of every education level. Some of his most
famous books are as follows: Ihya Ulum al-Din (The Revival of the
Religious Sciences), Kimya al-Saadat (The Alchemy of the Happiness),
Jawahir al-Qur'an (The Jewels of the Qur'an), Mizan al-Amal (Balance
of Action), Durrat al- Fakhira (The Exquisite Pearl) , Ayyuh-al-Walad
(O my son!), Qistas al- Mustaqim(The Correct Balance) .
Europeans studied the books of Al Ghazali's in a very detailed
manner,. and in 1959, upon reading the books of Al Ghazali and being
fascinated by Islam religion, four Professors Ordinarius translated
thebooks of Al Ghazali into German and then converted to Islam.
AL GHAZALI CALLED ATTENTION TO THE SIGNIFICANCE OF MUSLIMS BEING
UNITED AND LIVING IN A BROTHERLY MANNER:
Another point Al Ghazali paid attention to was the brotherhood,
friendship and love between the Muslims. In his famous book, Ihya Ulum
al-Din , he explains in the light of the verses of the Qur'an and the
hadith, why the brotherhood of Muslims is very important as follows:
The Prophet Mohammed (saas) explains: "Muslims are siblings, they do
not hurt, wrong or afflict one another." (Bukhari and Muslim)
Don't get jealous of eachother, don't hold a grudge against each
other, don't say bad things to each other, don't turn your backs to
each other, don't gossip about each other. Servants of Allah, be
brothers. (Bukhari and Muslim; Hujjat al-Islam Al Ghazali, Ihya
al-Ulum al-Din, vol. 3, p. 315)
The great scholar Al Ghazali explains how thebelievers should approach
each other in these wise words:
... You should always approach them with the compassion that they
expect from you. You should see their good sides and ignore the
badones. When they come to you and talk to you, you should not turn
youreyes away from them. (Ihya al-Ulum al-Din, p. 431)
Some of the sage advice of Al Ghazali …
"Don't forget that Almighty Allah knows everything you think and say.
People see only the outside of each other, but Almighty Allahsees both
the inside and the outside of all. Those who know that will be careful
with their thoughts and actions. "
"O my lower self, if you are saying 'I'll repent and do good things
later', remember that death can come before that and you can only
regret. If you think repenting tomorrow is easier than it is today,
you are mistaken".
Al Ghazali gave the goodnews of the coming of Hazrat Mahdi (as)
In his works Hujjat al-Islam Al Ghazali explained in detail the
qualities of Hazrat Mahdi(as) who is to come in the End Times based on
the hadith of the Prophet Muhammad (saas) and heralded Muslims with
the comingof Hazrat Mahdi (as).

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And Allah Knows the Best!

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Published by :->
M NajimudeeN Bsc- INDIA

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