6. Al-Ghazali (1058AD - 1111AD)

1. He studied Greek philosophy gaining mastery over it, and then studied religion and acquired a vast knowledge on that as well. Having a thorough knowledge of the subjects led Al-Ghazali to see a conflict between religion and philosophy. The conclusion he drew, created so much stress and affected him so badly that he became physically ill. He continued his study for more than ten years and after much reflection on the subject, he was able to resolve the conflict for himself. He then gradually started to recover from his bad health.
2. He taught that the soul was like God and said that “God has breathed His own spirit into man.” This entailed the soul being a higher expression of man’s existence. Therefore, Al-Ghazali also differed from Aristotle on the concept of unity of body and soul.
3. Another contribution of Al-Ghazali is that he distinguished between positive and negative virtues. In his views:
   • Positive virtue is doing a good deed. For example if someone helps the poor that would be a positive virtue.
   • Negative virtue is to avoid a bad deed. For example person avoids indulging into a criminal act.
4. Related to his idea of the soul being the higher expression of man’s existence, Al-Ghazali also distinguished between three stages of being which are:
   • Lowest, the material world of existence
   • The second is the physical world
   • The third is the world of divine.
5. Al-Ghazali also gave a long list of vices such as hunger, sex, vice of speech, self assertion, love of wealth and hypocrisy. The vices of hunger and sex are physical needs. The vice of speech is to use bad words or to say such words which would harm someone. Another vice was a unique idea of self assertion which means that being over assertive and trying to dominate others and not listening to what they have to say. The next is the vice of love of wealth. According to Al-Ghazali like all other vices it makes a person forget about all moralities and values and he pursue his desires blindly. The last vice is the vice of hypocrisy which means that a person appears differently from what he actually is.
6. Al-Ghazali also described four kinds of love:
   • Self love (love that an individual has for himself)
   • Love of a benefactor (love that an individual has for some one who takes care of his needs)
   • Love of beauty (the love for beauty is possessed by every individual)
   • Love of harmonious interaction (the love for association with people).
7. According to Al-Ghazali, man can change and improve himself from Nafsay-Ammarah to Nafsay-Mutiminah by doing the right things which according to him are six:
• Masharaqa: This means to put oneself straight. When the person decides that he would change himself and do those things only which are right or which are deemed right by the society.
• Maraqaba: This means to guard oneself from evil and bad things.
• Mahasaba: This means to criticize oneself for anything which is not good, which would ultimately lead to the improvement of that habit or doing.
• Maaqaba: This means to punish the self for the wrong doing and forcefully restraining the self from it.
• Mujahida: This means to express the self in fully and properly and not keep anything hidden.
• Maataba: This means to cleanse oneself of any bad deed or doing.