Al-Ghazali’s Thought and Its Contribution to the Islamic Theological Tradition
Epistemic Crisis and Theological Synthesis
Abstract
Departing from the complexity of the Islamic theological landscape of the 10th to 11th centuries AD, which was marked by tensions between philosophical rationalism, theological doctrine, and spiritual needs, this study aims to explore Al-Ghazali's thoughts and his contributions to the Islamic theological tradition. By using qualitative methods through a literature study of Al-Ghazali's works, this study found that Al-Ghazali responded to the epistemic crisis of his time through a fundamental critique of Hellenistic philosophy in Tahafut al-Falasifah and reconstructed the foundations of Islamic belief through a synthesis of sharia, aqidah, and Sufism in Ihya Ulum al-Din. Al-Ghazali's synthesis is a holistic and applicable theological paradigm that combines three main pillars of the Islamic tradition into a coherent framework. Al-Ghazali's contribution lies in his success in this synthesis, which not only placed the spiritual dimension at the core of belief but also bridged the dialectic between reason and revelation. Ultimately, Al-Ghazali's thought provided a fundamental contribution to integrating the Sunni tradition and creating balance in the discourse of the Islamic theological tradition
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