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SpiritualRoadmapbyGhazali, page : 24
influential leading philosophers of the renaissance such as Descartes, Jean
Jacques Roseau, and the like would not exist. In fact, Descartes introduces his
discussions in a manner following Al-Ghazali, without mentioning al-Ghazali.
Looking for “necessary” truths, Descartes came, like al-Ghazali, to doubt the
infallibility of sense-perception, and to rest his philosophy rather on principles
which are intuitively certain. But Ghazali had far superior spiritual and ethical
qualities not to mention a path to spiritual reality, and far reaching global balance
and so Al-Ghazali classified and addressed the various seekers of truth of his
time into four distinct groups: Theologians, Philosophers, Authoritarians, and
Mystics.
Scholastic theology had already achieved a fair degree of elaboration in the
defense of Islamic traditions, as a perusal of al-Irshad by al-Juwayni, (translated
into French), will show. Al-Ghazali had been brought up in this tradition and did
not cease to be a theologian when he became a mystic. His criticism of the
theologians is mild. He regards contemporary theology as successful in attaining
its aims, but inadequate to meet his own or anyone special‟s spiritual needs
8
Jacques Roseau, and the like would not exist. In fact, Descartes introduces his
discussions in a manner following Al-Ghazali, without mentioning al-Ghazali.
Looking for “necessary” truths, Descartes came, like al-Ghazali, to doubt the
infallibility of sense-perception, and to rest his philosophy rather on principles
which are intuitively certain. But Ghazali had far superior spiritual and ethical
qualities not to mention a path to spiritual reality, and far reaching global balance
and so Al-Ghazali classified and addressed the various seekers of truth of his
time into four distinct groups: Theologians, Philosophers, Authoritarians, and
Mystics.
Scholastic theology had already achieved a fair degree of elaboration in the
defense of Islamic traditions, as a perusal of al-Irshad by al-Juwayni, (translated
into French), will show. Al-Ghazali had been brought up in this tradition and did
not cease to be a theologian when he became a mystic. His criticism of the
theologians is mild. He regards contemporary theology as successful in attaining
its aims, but inadequate to meet his own or anyone special‟s spiritual needs
8