Imaam Ghazali ‎رضي الله عنه

Imam Ghazali رضي الله عنه , the luminary of Islam, holds a special place in our hearts. His illumination of the deepest corners of our faith has guided generations and continues to inspire believers all over the world, even almost a millennium after his time.

Ghazali رضي الله عنه born in 11th century Persia, dedicated his life to profound scholarship, not merely within the scope of jurisprudence and philosophy, but also exploring remarkable depths of spirituality and the conduct of life. His words were like gems of wisdom, spiritual in their origin yet deeply ingrained in the realities of life.

Amongst his many illuminating sayings, one that resonates deeply is: "Knowledge without action is wastefulness and action without knowledge is foolishness." It is a true testament to Ghazali's understanding that wisdom and action must work hand in hand to give life true meaning.

In another heart-touching sentiment from his spiritual masterpiece, "The Alchemy of Happiness", he beautifully reminds us of spiritual love : "By ‘heart’ I do not mean the piece of flesh situated in the left of our bodies, but that which uses all the other faculties as its instruments and servants. In truth it does not belong to the visible world, but to the invisible, and has come into this world as a traveller visits a foreign country for the sake of merchandise, and will presently return to its native land. It is the knowledge of this entity and its attributes which is the key to the knowledge of God.”

His captivating wisdom continues with: "To get what you love, you must first be patient with what you hate." Such words reverberate with an understanding of life's trials, teaching us about patience, endurance, and the journey to attaining what we love.

Imam Ghazali’s love for the Creator and His creation echo through his writings. His teachings traverse through the corridors of time, reaching out to touch our hearts, fuel our faith, and fill our lives with hope. He wasn’t just another scholar, he was – and continues to be – a guiding light, reflecting the radiance of deep spiritual understanding.

There are many touching stories about the life of Imam Ghazali that exemplify not only his wisdom, but also his humility, compassion, and unwavering faith.

One such story that conveys these characteristics beautifully is where Imam Ghazali tells us a parable of a man walking in the jungle. A hungry lion began to chase him and the man ran as fast as he could to escape. He noticed a well in front of him and jumped inside, the only hope for escape he could see.
As he was falling inside the well, he grabbed onto the rope and saved himself. He was relieved but on looking down again felt terror as he saw a huge snake at the bottom of the well.

The man then looked up and saw two mice nibbling at the rope, one black and one white. The lion prowled around the well, waiting.

The man’s heart was pounding as he wondered how he could escape from this. Then he noticed a honeycomb in front of him which had sweet honey dripping from it. He stuck his finger into the honey and tasted it. For a split second in its sweetness, he forgot about the lion, the snake and the two mice chewing at the rope.

Imam Ghazali explained that the lion represents the Angel of Death who is always close behind us. The snake symbolises the grave and its punishment. The black mouse and white mouse were like the night and day respectively which are always nibbling away at the fabric our life (the rope). The honey was like this Dunya which with its momentary sweetness distracts us and we forget death and the eternal life.