THE CONFESSIONS OF AL-GHAZALI

GHAZALI’S SEARCH FOR TRUTH

"In the name of God, the most Merciful, the most Compassionate." original: "Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim." This is the traditional opening for Islamic texts.

The Imam A title for a respected leader or great scholar in Islamic tradition Ghazali said:

Glory be to God, whose praise should precede every writing and every speech! May the blessings of God rest on Muhammad, His Prophet and His Messenger, and on his family and companions, through whose guidance one escapes from error!

You have asked me, O brother in the faith, to explain the aim and the mysteries of the religious sciences, as well as the boundaries and depths of theological doctrines. You wish to know my experiences while disentangling the truth that has been lost amidst the medley of sects and the diversities of thought. You ask how I have dared to climb from the low levels of traditional belief referring to "taqlid," or accepting belief based on authority rather than personal proof to the very summit of certainty. You desire to learn what I have gained, first of all from scholastic theology the study of religious doctrine through formal logic and debate; and secondly from