The Confessions of Al Ghazzali: Cosimo Classics Biography

The 12th-century Islamic thinker Al Ghazzali began his career as a professor in Baghdad. Over time, however, he realized that philosophy, math, and science were inadequate to answer the spiritual questions that vexed him. He left his post and began a two-year search for truth. The Confessions of Al Ghazzali is his autobiography and the results of what he learned during his quest. In it, he argues that while philosophy and the sciences are necessary for solving earthly matters, only Sufism is capable of deciphering the ultimate mystery. This brief treatise, translated into English for the first time by Claud Field and published in 1909, is filled with illuminating analogies and clear explanations that will please the student of Islam and the academically curious. Islamic theologian, philosopher, and mystic ABOU HAMID MUHAMMED IBN MUHAMMAD AL GHAZZALI (1058-1111) is widely considered to be one of Islam's most preeminent scholars. A prolific writer, Al Ghazzali's works include treatises on theology, Sufism, philosophy, jurisprudence, and logic.