Ghazali and His Theory of Government by Khoiruddin Nasution Khoiruddin Nasution. adalah Alumnus Fak. Syari'ah IAIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta (89/90) dan diangkat sebagaltenagapengajarpadaalmamaternya. Dansejak tahun 1993iamengikuttProgramMasfertentangIslamic Studies di MC GillUniversityMontreal, Canada. Introduction government, and the last-part comprises In his article, Islamic Concept the conclusion., of State, Nasim .Hasan Shah stkes that there are many foims ofan Islamic state,, Al-Ghazali's Life and Works. and every period Muslim comunity Abu Hamid Muhammad al-GazaT discreate most suitable form to their w^s bom in Tiis,^ a town near modem demands, and the most consonant with the Meshhed in northeast Iran, in 1058/450 spirit of the Shari'a.^ That is probably A.H. Almost since his lifetime, there has why muslim*thinkers both the earlier and been a debate on whether his nisba the present period have expressed ideas (relative name), should be considered to about Authority in Islam as a dogmatic be al-GhazaT or GazzaT. The former approach. This is greatly different from al- would relateto village or womancalled al- Mawardi's administrative approach, Ibn GazaT, while the latter relate to. the Khaldun's sociological approach and al- profession ofthespirmer or seller of spun Farabi's philospohical approaches.^ yam (ghazzal). But there is no certainty This paper will discuss al-GhazaT's about the ancestor who was a spinner, theory of Islamic government. Before since he had a grand-uncle (or less discussing this subject, it is necessary to probably an uncle), who was also called understand al-GhazaT and his works so al-GhazaT, mid the village or woman is we are able to understand his theory otherwi^ unknowa'^ better. This paper divide into three parts. His early education was in Tus The first part concerns with al-GhazHT's itself. Herehe studiedjurisprudence under life and his works, the second part Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-RadhkahT.^ At discusses his concept of. Islamic some time not later than 1074, ^-GhazaT 59 UNISIA, NO. 24 TAHUN XIV TRIWULAN 4 • 1994 went for purposes of study to of his carrying out his real intention of Gurgan/Jurjan in the south-east of the becoming a sufi. He'only went as far as Caspian Sea.^ He studied further under Damascus, and lived there for several the Lnam Abu Nasr al-Isma^, and made months. According to Macdonald, he copious notes: On his way back from appointed his brother Ahmad to teach in Gurjan to Tus robbers fell upon him, his place atthe Nizamiyya college.!^ stripped him and eiven carried off thebag From Damascus, he went to Mecca containing his manuscripts, eventually in November/December 1096 to perform they-, gave them back to him.^ After the pilgrimage. He went there passing coming back from Jurjan, al-GhazaT through Jerussalem and Hebron, where stayed at Tus for three years, during he visited the grave of Ibralfm al- which he memorized his notes as a Khain.l^-He returned back to Baghdad precaution againstfuture robbers.' • not later then June 1097. But he did not In 1077, he went to Nishapur to remain there for a long time. He then went study under I mam al-Haramajm al- to his home town Tus, establishing a JuwaynT at the recently founded Nizamiyya hostel or Islamic boarding house college. He remained there until the death (khanqah), where young men c^e to of al-Juwaynr in August 1085/25th R. join him in leading a sufi life as a Akhir 478 A.H^. Jurisprudence was community. According to ^Abd; al- presumably the main area ofhis study. He Ghafar, when al-GhazaT finished his was also encouraged by al-Juwanyf to ' pilgrimage, he went to Syria and remained read the works of the philosophers al- there wandering from place to.place and Farabi and Ibn Sina." According to shrine to shririe for nearly ten years. At Macdonald,. the range of his studies this time he composed several works : the embraced, besides Jurisprudence, Ihya, and books abbreviated from it such theology, dialectics, philosophy and as the Arba^in and Rasail, beside logic.^^ laboring at his own spiritual advacement He was associated with the court of and growth through the religiousexercises Nizam al-Muluk and taught in Nishapur ofthe sufis. Then he returned to his home after the death of al-Juwanyf until July town ofTus. 1091/484 A.H., when he was appointed as,professor at the Niz^iyya college in In'1105 or early in 1106, he was Baghdad. Thus, at the age of 33; he went appointed again as a professor at the to one of the most prestigious positions in Nizamiyya college in'Nishapurby Fakhr- the SunniteIslamicworld. ^^ ^ al-Mulk, son of Nizam al-Mulk. Here, he While he was a professor in the could combine teaching with the ^ Nizamiyya of Baghdad, he studied practices which he had been engaged in philosophy and did some writing. He Tiis. He continued his teaching at left Baghdad in November 1095, Nishapur until at least August 1109. He ostensibly to perform the pilgrimage to passed away on Monday, 14 Junradi al- Mecca; in fact, this was an excuse to Akhir 505 A.H./18 December 1111 in prevent obstacles being placed in the way TIs.l^ 60 Khoiruddin N,Al Ghazali And HIS Theoryof Government His brother Alitnad tells us about teacher. Imam al-Haramayn; 2. Shifa^ the day of his death : al-Ghalll — unfortunately this book is lost; 3. The following three books related After making his ablutions and performing to each other : al-BasU, al-Wasit and the dawn prayer, he asked for his shroud, al-Waji/ fT Fiqh al-Imam al-ShafiCf; kissed it, laid it on his eyes and said. 4. K h u l^at al-Mukhta^ar wa "Obediently I enter into the presence ofthe Naqawat al-Mu^tasar — this book is king, then.facing Mecca he stretched out mentioned in I^iya; 5. Tahdhlb al-U^ul his feet and was dead before sunrise.^O ~ al-Ghaz^ refers to this book in al- Mustasfa as his own and as a work on Hourani has classified al-Ghaz^'s Fiqh;^^ 6. Maq^id al-Falasifa — this life into four periods. The first is an early book was written in Baghdad; it could not period of teaching and writing until the have been started earlier than 1091/1092. death of Imam Haramayn al-Juwaynf. Tahafut al-Fal^ifa was completed on Only one work is definitely assignable to Mi^airam 11,488/ January 21 1095; 7. this time : aUMankhul min Ta^l fqat Mi^y^ al-^Ilm fi Fann al-Mantiq al-U^I. But he also worked on some this book was anticipated as an appendix parts ofal-Mustasta and al-Munqfd min al- to the Ihja; 8. Mihak al-Naz^ fT al-Mantiq Dolal. The second period is a period of — this book mentions Mi^^y^;^. al- retirement, extending for eleven lunar Mustaj^hiri — this was probably years, from his departure from Baghdad completed after Tahafut; 10. Hujjat al- in Dhu al-Qa'^dah488/November 1095 to Haqq — this is lost, but is mentioned in his return to teach at Nishapur in Dhul al- Jawahir al-Qur^an, he wrote it perhaps Qa'^dah, 499/July 1106. It was probably during his second residence in Baghdad; during this period thathe wrote all or most 11. al-Iqti^ad ff al-I^tiqad — it ofhis greater work, Ihya^Ulum al-Din. mentions Ta^iafut, and therfeore cannot The third period began when he came out be earlier than 1095. it is mentioned in from retirement in Dhul al-Qha^dah 499, Ihya, therefore earlier than the earliest part to resume teaching in Nishapur. The end ofI^iya. Iqti^ad itself is not easy nor ofthis period is not knowa He completed short, it is possible then that it was his work al-Mu$tasfa during this time. completed during the second half 1095; The last period was spent at Tus, where he 12. M fzan al-^Amal — this was lived until his death; the only work which anticipated at the end ofMFyar; 13. AI- was finished.by him during this period is Risalah al-Qudsiyya — this is the iljam.^1 mentioned in the Iliya; 14. al-Radd al- Jamil ^ala Il^iyyat cisa bi-^arih The following is a chronological al-lnjn but Lazarus Yafeh has proved \ ordering of his works. that this book is inauthentic; 15. I^iya cUlum ad-DFn — this mentions ar- 1. aNMankhul min Taclfqat al-Usul Risalah al-Qudsiyya, and al-Iqti^ad. —this book is mentioned in al-Musta^fa, He probably did not begin with this book and was written during the lifetime of his before 490 A.H./1097. This book is 61 UNISIA, NO. 24 TAHUN XIV TRIWULAN 4 -1994 mentioned in his later works. which are mentioned by majority of Unfortunately its date of completion scholars interested in studying al- cannot be determined accurately; 16. al- Ghaz^,24 but there are many more Risalah al-Wa^ziyya — this refers to woiks which are not usually cited, such as Qawa^id aI-*^Aqa^id, i.e. Ihya*^; 17. Maraqi al-Zulfa, al-Madnun bihF Ayyuha al-Walad — mentions Ihyaf^, ^Ala Ghayr ahlihi, al-][likmah fl I8.al-Imla fi Ishkalat al-lhya^ — this is Makhluq Allah and so forth. According printed at the end of HiyaC;,19. al- to Muhammad ibn Hasan's at-Tab&qat Maqsad al-Asna ff Sharh Ma^wi al-^Aliyat fi Manaqib al-ShafiCf, Asma Allah al-Husna — mentioned in there are a total of 98 titles of his Arba^in, also gives refers to Jaw^ir, works.^^ al-Qur'an; 20.