A Return to Purity in Creed
- il'Jam al-awwami an ilm al-kalam,
[A5] Paperback - 144 pages,
by Imam al-Ghazali,
Translated by: Abdullah bin Hamid Ali,
Published by Lamppost Productions, USA.
Out of Stock
Description :
The final work of Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, may Allah be pleased with him, recaptures the simplicity of the orthodox creed of Islam. He accomplishes this by demostrating how the first three generations of Muslims (the Salaf) understood the allegorical reports found in the Qur'an and the Hadith of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). With his unique and poetic expression, Imam Ghazali provides a seven-step approach for the common muslim and explains why forays into theological polemics should be avoided.
Largely debated between speculative theologians (mutakallimun) and traditionalists (ahl al-hadith) for centuries, speculative theology (kalam) and figurative interpretation (ta'wil) remain a lively source of contention amongst Muslims today. Traditionalists have remained loyal in their opposition to rational pursuits in theology and claim the mantle of orthodoxy in creed. The speculative theologians, while having strong rational and scriptual support for their views, still struggle to convince a considerable sector of the Muslim populace that their understanding is not a departure from the creed of the pious forebears (Salaf).
Imam Ghazali, may Allah be pleased with him, here warns with great details about the detriments of engaging in polemical theology.
In this book, Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali, may Allah be pleased with him, proves, once again, to be a man of the times by striking a balance between two extremes and refocusing the common Muslim on the simplistic beauty of the Islamic doctrine as learned and transmitted by the early Muslim community.
Complete with explanatory notes, this translation is a great contribution to English readers.
Abdullah bin Hamid Ali, translator and annotator of The Attributes of God (Amal Press), does well in his choice to follow up that uniquely resourceful English rendition of The Attributes of God.
