THE PROBLEM OF THE «MIND « AND « KASHF « IN THE TEACHINGS OF ABU HAMIDA AL-GHAZALI

Abstract

The medieval thinker Abu Hamid al-Ghazali had a profound influence on the Islamic world, particularly on the Sufi tradition. Sufism was one of his main subjects of study, and it is through it that Ghazali became known as a prominent Muslim theologian. However, views on Sufism remain divided: some consider it an essential part of Islam, while others see it as an alien element. Ghazali emphasized that true Sufism consists of sincerity, piety, and purity of heart, while hypocrisy and ostentatious religiosity are alien to Islam.

One of the main questions of philosophy is the definition of sources of knowledge and methods of its verification. Ghazali criticized blind imitation, doubted the abilities of the mind alone or sensory perception, which led to the truth. According to this tradition, true knowledge is based on Divine revelation (wahi), as well as on «kashf» – the achievements of comprehen- sion of truth, accessible to spiritually purified people. In his teachings, he spoke out against the extremes of philosophers, mutakallims and some Sufis who denied the importance of reason or, on the contrary, condemned only it. Ghazali became an authority in Islamic science and received the honorary title of «Proof of Islam» (Hujjat al-Islam).