The Thought of Al-Ghazali in Tahafut Al-Falasifah and Its Relevance to Islamic Education

Abstract

This study provides an in-depth examination of Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali’s philosophical ideas and critiques in Tahafut al-Falasifah, a monumental work that significantly shaped the development of classical Islamic thought. The work emerged during a period when Islamic philosophy strongly influenced by Aristotelian and Neoplatonic traditions through the ideas of Ibn Sina and al-Farabi was experiencing substantial growth. Al-Ghazali presented twenty sharp criticisms of the metaphysical system of these philosophers, highlighting three doctrines that he believed were fundamentally incompatible with the principle of tawhid: the eternity of the world, God’s ignorance of particulars, and the denial of bodily resurrection. This work provided a new direction for the development of Islamic epistemology, strengthening the position of revelation as the highest source of truth while still allowing reason to function proportionally. The relevance of al-Ghazali’s thought can still be felt today, especially in modern education systems that are often dominated by secular rationalism and neglect ethical-spiritual dimensions. Thus, this work offers important inspiration for building an integral and holistic Islamic scientific paradigm