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Rare_Sermons_of_Jesus, page : 11
(1) Scholastic theology had already achieved a fair degree of elaboration in the
defence of Islamic orthodoxy, 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 spiritual needs
because it did not go far enough in the elucidation of its assumptions. There was
no radical change in his theological views when he became a mystic, only a
change in his interests, and some of his earlier works in the field of dogmatics are
quoted with approval in al-Munqidh.
(2) The Philosophers with whom al-Ghazali was chiefly concerned were those
he calls `theistic‟, above all, al-Farabi and Avicenna (Ibn Sina). Their philosophy
was a form of Neoplatonism, sufficiently adapted to Islamic monotheism for
them to claim to be Muslims. Though the part they played in stimulating the
medieval scholastics is acknowledged, the contribution of these men to the
intellectual progress of mankind as a whole has not yet been fully appreciated.
To the great body of Muslims, however, some of their positions were
defence of Islamic orthodoxy, 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 spiritual needs
because it did not go far enough in the elucidation of its assumptions. There was
no radical change in his theological views when he became a mystic, only a
change in his interests, and some of his earlier works in the field of dogmatics are
quoted with approval in al-Munqidh.
(2) The Philosophers with whom al-Ghazali was chiefly concerned were those
he calls `theistic‟, above all, al-Farabi and Avicenna (Ibn Sina). Their philosophy
was a form of Neoplatonism, sufficiently adapted to Islamic monotheism for
them to claim to be Muslims. Though the part they played in stimulating the
medieval scholastics is acknowledged, the contribution of these men to the
intellectual progress of mankind as a whole has not yet been fully appreciated.
To the great body of Muslims, however, some of their positions were