Al-Ghazali, Dialogic Practices in Islam and Religious Education in a Saudi University
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International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education (IJTIE), Volume 9, Issue 2, 2020 Al-Ghazali, Dialogic Practices in Islam and Religious Education in a Saudi University Adel Abubaker Bawazeer University of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract that period [12], which had a significant impact on his subsequent thought and life. Some of the Improving religious education is considered a key intellectual conflicts he underwent appeared driver in enabling Saudi society to become more subsequently in his writings. One of the most famous open to different points of view, especially through of these works is Tahāfut al-Falāsifah (The the practice of dialogue. Additionally, universities Incoherence of the Philosophers). Written in the late might be seen as being in the best place to enable 11th century, this book addressed and challenged all them to carry out their responsibilities to educate the the contradictions he identified in the thoughts of public by engaging them in rational dialogic philosophers of the time, including Ibn Sina practices. The project reported in this paper, closely (Avicenna) and Al-Farabi (Alpharabius) regarding examined the features of religious education with God (Allah) and the universe, as well as faith and particular focus on a model within the on-going theology [12], [13]. Islamic tradition that might be drawn upon in At the beginning of the 12th century Al-Ghazali relation to such dialogic practice. Al-Ghazali is an suddenly decided to abandon teaching. He found exemplar of dialogic practice within the Islamic himself unable to give speeches: "God shrivelled my tradition whose work testifies to the possibility of tongue until I was prevented from giving instruction. combining a tradition-centered approach with more So, I used to force myself to teach on a particular day open dialogic practice. In his case, such openness to for the benefit of my various pupils, but my tongue difference was combined with both a respect for the would not utter a single word” [7]. Instead, he set out Qu’ran and Sunna, and other Islamic foundational to discover what was beyond the knowledge which texts, and the practice of his tradition. Based on that, had initially led him to the stage of certainty, in the paper looks at ways of encouraging students to search of spiritual stability [12]. present their opinions and the requirement for Although Al-Ghazali relinquished his position in academic teachers to be more open to help them to teaching, he did not leave the field of education but be successful in stimulating their students to engage instead began a life of contemplation and writing. In in dialogue without fear of disagreement. The paper this phase of isolation, the first text he wrote was to examines how this dialogic activity in religious become famous. Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm Al-dīn (The Revival of education might be framed by the thought of Al- the Religious Sciences) was a product of his long Ghazali as a model and the Islamic tradition within years spent in teaching [12], paying attention to university classes. issues of education, ethics, mysticism, jurisprudence and faith, supporting "the very materials used by his 1. Introduction predecessors, such as verses of the Qur’an; prophetic reports (AHadith); philosophical, legal, and In recent times, Al Ghazali has been considered theological discourses; and the narratives of one of the most popular thinkers among Muslim mystics." [14]. This book holds a great appeal to a Sunni scholars. The importance of his vision is that large segment of Muslims [12], but has also faced a he instituted a new school of Islamic thought that variety of criticisms, mainly directed at the mystical concentrated on the practices of Islamic theory. For element which is prominent in this book [1]. the past nine centuries, Al-Ghazali's ideas have At the end of this period of isolation, al-Ghazali influenced Islamic intellectual output because they wrote "al-Munqidh min al-Dalal" (Deliverance from combine Islamic law (Shari’a), history, and Error), which reflects the maturity and spiritual education. stability that he had achieved. The primary Al-Ghazali began seeking knowledge in early motivation for al-Ghazali in writing this book, as childhood, becoming a teacher who moved between stated in its introduction, is to show the correct path various large and small schools until he was called to to God (Allah), based on the intellectual and spiritual be a professor in the university in Baghdad. Until the conflicts he had faced. Indeed, the main question for end of the eleventh century he dedicated his life to al-Ghazali was how to avoid doubt right up to the teaching and educating. Despite reaching this final choices of truth, certainty, and final ratification position, al-Ghazali underwent a "spiritual crisis" in [12], [13]. He concluded that the correct path did not reside in theology, nor in philosophy, neither in Copyright © 2020, Infonomics Society | DOI: 10.20533/ijtie.2047.0533.2020.0194 1578 International Journal of Technology and Inclusive Education (IJTIE), Volume 9, Issue 2, 2020 educational doctrine; rather, the solution to his "was a frontier thinker" offering unique concepts that existential and intellectual quandaries was to cease opened up the possibility of diversity of thought and searching for solutions that could be reached multiple narratives: “dihlīz”, as an interspace [14]. intellectually, but to seek solutions by actually Dihlīz a Persian word Arabized and meaning ‘‘that "tasting" what God is like through mystical space between the door and the house’’ [14]. In "al- experience. In this abandonment of the purely mental Munqidh min al-Dalal" (Deliverance from Error) al- struggle of what can be grasped by the mind in Ghazali uses this word in a phrase very well-known favour of the fuller experience of truth that can be among Muslim scholars, which is: ‘‘And whatever absorbed by the whole person, lies the crux of al- precedes it is like a threshold for the seeker of God Ghazali's life, and, in many important respects, the [Wa mā qabla dhālika ka al-dihlīz li al-sālik ilayhi]’’ crux of Islam [12]. [14]. Used in the context of explaining the The two books discussed above are considered as relationship between the Muslim mystic and his God al-Ghazali's most important works, because they (Allah), it is also used to explain that there are a relate to the different intellectual and spiritual stages variety of ways of meeting in a single space in order of his life, reflecting his journey from spiritual to reach to God (Allah). It is also used in other ways, conflict to isolation and finally to mysticism and as a ‘spatial metaphor [that] signifies a multitude of spiritual stability, prompting scholars to call al- meanings’ [14]. So, what are these indications and Ghazali “an enigmatic and agonistic figure” [14]. metaphors and how might the concept of “dihlīz” be Nonetheless, he left a non-totalitarian legacy of a useful concept in thinking about dialogue? knowledge and intellect, which some see as Moosa [14] provides an in-depth interpretation of representing a key intellectual and scientific leap in the word "dihlīz" showing its relevance to al- the Islamic intellectual tradition [14]. Therefore, Ghazali's thought in general and dialogical thinking there are powerful reasons for engaging with his in particular. Firstly, he explains that this concept thinking in relation to traditions of thinking and the could be considered as a reflection of al-Ghazali's encounter with heterogeneous knowledge traditions. thought, in the sense that intellectual dialogues must With regard to the ambiguity of al-Ghazali's combine both fundamentals and constants. In this thought, Moosa [14], in reviewing Ibn Rushd’s description, using a geographical metaphor, Moosa opinion of al-Ghazali, discusses as an example a likens al-Ghazali's mind to one that lies on the famous debate between the two thinkers. After the borders "between sovereign territories and debate, al-Ghazali described the discussions that he criminalizes improper crossing without had with Ibn Rushd as constructive, while Ibn Rushd authorization. But it also compels one to choose. A described them as offensive [14]. Ibn Rushd’s main person invariably falls on one side of the border" criticism of al-Ghazali was that he was a man of [14]. However, at the same time, he is a person many parts who was non-traditional in his thought “prepared to straddle a no-man’s-land" [14], in order and was diverse and volatile "who pretended to be an that a convergence and meeting might become Asharī when he was with theologians of that stripe, a possible in a common area. It appears, then, that mystic with the ṣūfīs, and a philosopher with while there is a border, there is also the strong philosophers" [14]. possibility of finding a meeting point, a middle space Al-Ghazali did not see intellect and thought as at the threshold, if only one undertakes the limited or restricted, and that is what made him such (discursive and existential) work necessary to attain a prolific generator of ideas that have opened up the this. consideration of multiple concepts throughout the Using an architectural metaphor, Moosa [14] centuries into the modern era [14]. The openness of conceives the location of that threshold as having al-Ghazali’s thinking was bounded by the principal entrances, doors, and being surrounded by rooms sources (Qur’an and Sunnah); however, other (see Figure 1). In Moosa’s words: philosophers believe that there is no boundary at all [12], [13]. So, what is the difference here? What was it is the critical intermediate space between al-Ghazali doing? Within that boundary of a tradition outside and inside, between exoteric (ẓāhir) of thinking, al-Ghazali used the method of opening and esoteric (bāṭin).