Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī (1058-1111) : an exhibition held in the Humanities & Social Sciences Library, McGill University : August 15, 2011-March 31, 2012

2011·7.4 MB·English

by  Swanick, Sean

̣
Abū Hāmid
AL-GHAzāLī
(1058-1111)

ﱄاﺰﻐﻟا
̣
Abū Hāmid
AL-GHAZĀLĪ
(1058-1111)
An exhibition held in the Humanities &
Social Sciences Library, McGill University
August 15, 2011–March 31, 2012
Sean Swanick
Curator
Copyright © 2011 McGill University Library
ISBN 978-1-77096-198-2
Contents
Preface.................................................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.....................................................................................................................................................................3
The Exhibition.................................................................................................................................................................5
Essays
̣ ʾ
Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī s (d.1111) legacy
Reverend Dr.Yazid Said..................................................................................................................................................7
Al-Ghazālī and Science
Dr. F. Jamil Ragep..........................................................................................................................................................10
Al-Ghazālī and Philosophy
Dr. Robert Wisnovsky..................................................................................................................................................11
Ghazālī on zombies and what to do when you drop your cellphone in the toilet
L.W.C. (Eric) van Lit.....................................................................................................................................................12
The concept of Divine Love according to al-Ghazālī
Eliza Tasbihi....................................................................................................................................................................14
The Exhibition
Display Case One
The Institute of Islamic Studiesʾ Ph.D. and M.A. Theses: al-Ghazālī................................18
Display Case Two
يلازغلا :نيدلا مولع ءايحإ
Revival of the Religious Sciences: al-Ghazālī.................................................................................22
Display Case Three
The life and publications of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī 1058-1111 A.D..................................30
Display Case Four
Influences of al-Ghazālī...........................................................................................................................36
Chronology of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālīʾs life.......................................................................................................44
Preface
How is it that associated with almost every great end of a period known as the “Golden Age of
man or woman, there almost always tends to be Islam,” around the year 1000 A.D., he has been
some whiff of scandal, controversial behaviour, accused of closing off a period of unprecedented
inconsistency? But then, are we really surprised cultural, intellectual, scientific, and technical
at this, for, after all, did not the great American activity that greatly influenced the development
poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson11, say that of European civilization in the late Middle
Ages and Renaissance. Some say he tried to
“a foolish consistency is the
undo the philosophical work of other brilliant
hobgoblin of little minds, adored by
scientists of the Islamic Golden Age such as
little statesmen and philosophers
Avicenna, whose canon on medicine became,
and divines. With consistency a
in translation from Arabic, the standard for
great soul has simply nothing to
European medicine up to the beginnings of
do. He may as well concern himself
modern Western medicine in the 17th century.
with his shadow on the wall. Speak
He seemed to preach a severe form of Islam,
what you think today in hard
but himself became a Sufi. He renounced
words, and tomorrow speak what
state-supported work claiming that he could
tomorrow thinks in hard words
not devote himself to it due to the corruption
again, though it contradict every
present in state-supported institutions, but
2 thing you said today?”
then later went back to it. He seems to have
been misunderstood in his comments on the
And, it also happens that such great people
often are misunderstood. But, again Emerson philosophy of Avicenna and other philosophers
chastens us when he says and held responsible for a perceived fossilization
of Islamic thought from the tenth century
“Is it so bad, then, to be on, fossilization that some claimed stopped
misunderstood? Pythagoras was the Islamic world from developing. Modern
misunderstood, and Socrates, and scholarship, some of which will be seen in this
Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, exhibit, shows a different light on this, that al-
and Galileo, and Newton, and Ghazālī to be a far more complex and subtle
every pure and wise spirit that man than he had appeared to be. The leitmotif
ever took flesh. To be great is to be of this exhibition is then to show in a visual and
misunderstood.” appealing way something of the real nature of
this unusual man and to give a glimpse through
So it is with the brilliant man who is the
calligraphic examples of the beauty of Islam.
object of this exhibit, al-Ghazālī. Coming at the
1 Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist and Dr. Marion Finley, Jr., Adjunct Professor,
poet, Self-Reliance, 1841 Université du Québec à Montréal
Introduction
The present booklet documents the exhibition of Sharon Rankin and Donald Hogan were kind
̣ in offering their various expertise in helping
Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī (1058-1111): Celebrating
held in the McLennan Library of organize and shape the exhibit. A special thank
900 Years
McGill University between 15 August 2011- you also goes to Dr. Marion Finley, Jr., Dr. F.
31 March 2012. The exhibition celebrated the Jamil Ragep, Dr. Robert Wisnovsky, Heather
life and works of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī, a Empey, Eliza Tasbihi and Jennifer Garland each
philosopher, theologian, jurist and Sufi. of whom provided insights and feedback in the
development of the exhibition and booklet.
McGill University Library contains
approximately 500 works by al-Ghazālī, held
in the Islamic Studies Library and Rare Books
Sean Swanick, Islamic Studies Liaison Librarian.
and Special Collections. Together the collection Curator ̣
Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī (1058-1111):
offers the researcher the significant works of McGill University
Celebrating 900 Years,
al-Ghazālī, as well as unique manuscripts, and
lithographs. Four manuscripts were purchased
by the late Orientalist and Ismaili scholar, Dr.
Wladimir Ivanow in the 1920s for Dr. Casey
Wood. These manuscripts were purchased Éminent philosophe, théologien, juriste et
while Dr. Ivanow was living in Lucknow, mystique musulman Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī 3
India. Moreover, rare lithographs were also (1058-1111) a profondément marqué la vie
incorporated into the exhibition, for example intellectuelle musulmane et reste à ce jour
al-Ghazālīʾs work, Zād-i ākhirat (Provision lʾune des plus grandes figures de la pensée
of the hereafter) which is a unique holding to musulmane.
McGill University.
Originaire de la ville de Tūs, dans le
The complex, multi-disciplinary nature of Khurāsān, en Iran, il reçut une éducation
al-Ghazālī and his works provided staff with religieuse, juridique et philosophique très
the opportunity for collaboration across the complète, notamment auprès dʾal-Juwaynī2, à
McGill campus. Of particular importance Nīshāpūr, ville connue alors pour son excellence
to the development of the exhibition and its académique. En 1085, il rejoignit la cour de
intellectual content were Dr. Yazid Said, a Niẓām al-Mulk, administrateur de la Province
visiting scholar at the Faculty of Religious du Khurāsān, qui le nomma Professeur à la
Studies and the Instituteʾs M.A. student, prestigieuse Niẓāmiyah (Université religieuse)
L.W.C. (Eric) van Lit. Both of these individuals de Baghdād, en Irak. Ses interventions dans les
provided wonderful feedback, assistance, and controverses et débats religieux de lʾépoque,
their own expertise in developing the ideas, le rendirent célèbre à travers le Monde
concepts and content of this exhibition. The musulman. En 1095, une crise existentielle le 
Islamic Studies staff, in particular Anaïs poussa à abandonner sa prometteuse carrière 
Salamon, Charles Fletcher and Steve Millier, académique  pour  se  mettre  à  la  recherche 
were gracious in offering assistance throughout.
Moreover, the staff of Rare Books and Special
2 Imām al-Ḥaramayn al-Juwaynī (1028-1085) est un
Collections, particularly Dr. Richard Virr, célèbre théologien musulman de lʾépoque.
« dʾune position intellectuelle et dʾune règle intellectuel que cela aurait engendré, est au
de vie plus satisfaisantes »3. Cette quête dura cœur dʾun débat scientifique encore vivace.
onze ans pendant lesquels il vécut en ermite,
Ce livret présente une exposition intitulée
dans le dénuement le plus total, consacrant
̣
Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī (1058-1111): Celebrating
tout son temps à la méditation. Dans des écrits
̣
postérieurs, il fait mention de voyages en Syrie, 900 Years [Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī (1058-1111):
qui sʾest tenue
en Palestine et peut-être même en Égypte Célébration du 900e anniversaire],
à la Bibliothèque McLennan de lʾUniversité
durant cette période. Vers la fin de cette retraite
McGill du 15 août 2011 au 31 mars 2012.
spirituelle, al-Ghazālī embrassa le mysticisme
soufi, qui devint alors son mode de vie. Et La réalisation de lʾexposition a été une
dans le souci de transmettre sa connaissance occasion unique de redécouvrir et dʾexplorer
de la théorie et de la pratique du soufisme, il les collections de la Bibliothèque dʾÉtudes
créa à Tūs un ermitage dédié à la formation Islamiques et de la Bibliothèque des Livres
de jeunes élèves. En 1106, il reprit brièvement Rares et Collection Spéciales : un corpus de près
le professorat universitaire à la Niẓāmiyah de de 500 ouvrages, incluant plusieurs manuscrits
Nīshāpūr, avant dʾabandonner définitivement et lithographies dont McGill possède lʾunique
et de retourner à Tūs où il mourut en 1111. copie. En outre,  lʾexposition et le présent
La vie et lʾœuvre de ce personnage atypique, livret sont le résultat dʾune collaboration
prolifique et brillant, suscitent jusquʾà exceptionnelle entre étudiants, chercheurs et
aujourdʾhui lʾintérêt des plus grands spécialistes bibliothécaires à travers le Campus de McGill.
en théologie, philosophie et droit musulman :
Que tous ceux qui y ont participé en soient ici
4 le legs intellectuel et spirituel dʾal-Ghazālī est remerciés.
considérable. Pour ne citer quʾun exemple, le
rôle quʾil aurait joué dans la redéfinition du
raisonnement individuel (ijtihād4), et du déclin Anaïs Salamon, Head of the Islamic Studies
Library, McGill University
3 Montgomery Watt, W. Al-Ghazali. Encyclopédie de
lʾIslam. Leyde: Brill ; Paris: G.-P. Maisonneuve et Larose une solution personnelle à des problèmes juridiques. Pour
S. A., 1965. certains chercheurs, al-Ghazali est responsable de la
4 Ijtihād est un terme utilisé en droit islamique pour « fermeture de la porte de lʾijtihād » équivalant à imposer
désigner lʾusage du raisonnement individuel pour apporter une acceptation inconditionnelle de la doctrine.
The Exhibition
The exhibition marks a distinctive anniversary Philosophers). This one example in his thinking
of one of the foremost thinkers, teachers and illustrates that al-Ghazālī was searching for
writers of Islamic thought and life. ̣ the In searching for the , as Dr. Eric
Abū Hāmid truth. truth
Ormsby has noted, his career may be divided
al-Ghazālī (1058-1111): Celebrating 900 years
offered the student, researcher, academic, into five stages: Early years (1058-1085) in
and the general public an opportunity to which his first writings on law appeared; the
see the breadth and depth of this celebrated public decade (1085-1095) in which al-Ghazālī
philosopher, theologian, jurist and Sufi. The began teaching at the Niẓāmiyah madrasah
exhibition also highlighted McGill University (religious university) in Baghdād and wrote
Libraryʾs collections showcasing some of the on law, philosophy and logic, polemic and
rare manuscripts, lithographs and decorative dogmatics; The crisis and withdrawal from
arts. Moreover, it offered the visitor the public life (1095-1106), when he embraced
opportunity to see some of the important Sufism and lived in seclusion performing the
artefacts and pictures of Muslim life and of the Ḥajj (pilgrimage) in 1096 and composed the
̣ ʾʿ ; and his second public period
Islamic world. Ihyā ulūm al-dīn
(1106-1109) in which he returned to teaching
The exhibition celebrates the renowned
this time in Nīshāpūr, Iran and wrote his
thinker al-Ghazālī, who passed away in his
autobiography, ̣ (The
al-Munqidh min al-dalāl
hometown of Tūs, Iran in 1111 A.D. Al- 5
Deliverance from Error) and, the final period of
Ghazālī lived a pious life, contemplating various
his life covering 1109-1111 in which he, again
aspects of God, Islam and religion in general.
retreated to seclusion but continued writing on
In short, al-Ghazālī was in search of the
truth eschatology and theology.5
and went to great lengths in his studies, and
This exhibition illustrates the impact al-
writings to discover this. His ̣ ʾʿ
Ihyā ulūm al-dīn
Ghazālī has had on both Islamic and general
(The Revival of the religious sciences) was his
intellectual thought throughout the ages. Each
magnum opus. It was written in 40 volumes and
case represents a different perspective of al-
covers almost every aspect of Muslim life from
Ghazālīʾs influence. The first case, entitled
dietary habits to esoteric psychology. This work The
ʾ
is often noted as being the second most read Institute of Islamic Studies Ph.D. and M.A. Theses:
represents the intellectual output
work by a Muslim after the Qurʾān. al-Ghazālī
of students and professors of the Institute of
Al-Ghazālī was an avid traveller having lived
Islamic Studies in its 59 years of existence. The
in or visited at least twenty cities in the Middle second case, entitled ̣ ʾʿ is centred
Ihyā ulūm al-dīn
East. Much like al-Ghazālīʾs travels, his writing on al-Ghazālīʾs magnum opus,
The Revival of the
and thought evolved over time as he challenged . The third case, entitled
Religious Sciences TheLife
many different aspects of Islam, being Muslim offers many of his
and Publications of al-Ghazālī
and living a virtuous and pious life. His publications while also illustrating his travels,
early years were marked by his attraction to in particular of his time in Damascus, Syria.
philosophy, particularly Greek philosophy and Finally, the fourth case, entitled
Influences of
the writings of Aristotle on logic. However,
later in life he wrote a critique of philosophers
5 Ormsby, Eric L. Ghazali: the revival of Islam. Oxford,
in his Tahāfut al-falāsifah (Incoherence of the England: Oneworld, 2008, pp.24-25.
illustrates the influences of al-Ghazālī Ghazālīʾs impact on philosophy, particularly
al-Ghazālī
and those whom he influenced. Overall, the in the medieval world. L.W.C. (Eric) van Litʾs
exhibition demonstrated through publications, article, entitled
Ghazālī on zombies and what
writings, and commentaries the magnitude al-
to do when you drop your cellphone in the
Ghazālī had on the evolution and development
, explores the language used by al-Ghazālī.
toilet
of Islamic and intellectual thought.
Finally, Eliza Tasbihi in her essay
The concept of
The exhibition booklet is enhanced by five explores
Divine Love according to al-Ghazālī
essays that further highlight al-Ghazālīʾs one of the volumes from the ̣ ʾʿ
Ihyā ulūm al-dīn.
importance and contributions to the evolution Each of these essays speaks to the scholarship of
of thought and intellectualism. The first essay by
al-Ghazālī, his distinct nature of investigating
Dr. Yazid Said entitled ̣ ʾ
Abū Hāmid al-Ghazālī s the intellectual currents of his time, the impact
, details the importance of al-
(d.1111) legacy this has had on scholarship and general thought
Ghazālī. The second essay by Dr. Jamil Ragep
since.
entitled enlightens the
Al-Ghazālī and Science
reader on al-Ghazālīʾs impact on the history
of science. In a similar manner, Dr. Robert Sean Swanick, Islamic Studies Liaison Librarian
Wisnovskyʾs artile, Al-Ghazālī and Philosophy Curator Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī (1058-1111):
provides the reader with an overview of al- McGill University Library
Celebrating 900 Years,
6