An analysis of the nexus between philosophy and Sufism in the epistemology of Abū Ḥāmid al-Ghazālī. Sufism and Philosophy are in constant tension throughout al-Ghazali's writings, with philosophy presented as the highest form of “acquired knowledge,” surpassing dialectical theology. This has led scholars such as Alexander Treiger and Julles Jansens to argue that al-Ghazālī maintained philosophy to be the highest level of certainty. This lecture demonstrates that a complete reading of al-Ghazālī’s corpus reveals a more subtle epistemology wherein “knowledge from on high” (al-ʿilm al-ladunī) and knowledge attained through philosophical deduction are both able to achieve the highest level of understanding. Nonetheless, “knowledge from on high” surpasses philosophical investigation, because the latter remains a mode of “acquired knowledge” that derives from syllogistic process developed by building upon the observations of sensory perception and can thus be corrupted by our baser proclivities. Knowledge from on high, however, is received directly into the heart from the supernal realm and thus remains untainted by attachments to the material world.
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