142219664-AYYUHAL-WALAD

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  • AYYUHAL WALAD

    Ayyuhal Walad atau juga dikenali dengan nama al-Risalah al-Waladiyah asalnya ditulis oleh Imam

    al-Ghazali r.h. dalam bahasa Parsi, kemudian kitab ini diterjemahkan ke dalam bahasa Arab oleh

    sebahagian ulama dan dinamakan dengan nama di atas.

    Kitab Ayyuhal Walad ini ditulis oleh Imam al-Ghazali r.h sebagai jawapan kepada sepucuk surat yang

    dihantar oleh seorang murid beliauyang sangat mencintainya. Dalam surat tersebut murid beliau

    meminta agar Imam al-Ghazali r.h sudi menulis sepucuk surat yang merupakan suatu wasiat yang

    ditujukan kepadanya secara khusus, walaupun ia yakin bahawa isi kandungan surat tersebut telah

    termaktub dalam kitab-kitab karya Imam al-Ghazali r.h.Lalu Imam al-Ghazali dengan murah hati

    menjawab surat muridnya dan memberikan kepadanya beberapa nasihatyang sangat mahal

    harganya.

    Apabila kita cuba meneliti kandungan surat Imam al-Ghazali r.h ini, kita akan mendapati bahawa

    beliau sangat ikhlas sekali dalam memberi nasihat, dan di celah-celah ungkapan beliau terserlah

    kebolehannya dalam menggambarkan tipuan dunia dan kekalnya negeri akhirat, dan betapa

    perlunya kita kepada iman dan amalanyang soleh dan kejernihan jiwa. Kita juga melihat kasih sayang

    Imam al-Ghazali terhadap muridnya, lalu beliau membawakan nasihat ini dalam bahasa yang halus,

    yang menyentuh hati nurani kita dan terkadang dapat mengalirkan air mata dan memberikan kesan

    yang sangat mendalam sekali, sehingga membawa kepada suatu perubahan dalam kehidupan kita.

    Maka telah berhimpunlah dalam nasihat Imam al-Ghazali ini keindahan keikhlasan dan keindahan

    bahasa. Lalu kalimah yang keluar daripada hati yang ikhlas tadi akan masuk ke dalam lubuk hati pula.

    Dan benar-benar memeberikan kesan yang ketara sekali dan inilah nilai kebenaran dan nilai

    keindahan yang sebenar dan inilah nilai sastera yang sebenar iaitu ikhlas, indah, benar dan berkesan.

    Walaupun surat ini pada asalnya ditujukan khusus kepada murid Imam al-Ghazali r.h. Namun isi

    kandungannya adalah sangat diperlukan oleh semua lapisan masyarakat. Sama ada besar atau kecil,

    kerana nasihat yang ditulis oleh Imam al-Ghazali r.h ini sangat penting bagi mereka yang mahu

    memantapkan keazaman dalam usaha yang berterusan untuk mencapai kebahagian di dunia dan di

    akhirat kelak.

    Nota: Dinukil dan diubahsuai dari muqaddimah penterjemah Kitab Ayyuhal Walad (Wahai anakku

    yang tercinta), iaitu Abu Ali al-banjari al-Nadwi.

    http://phoenix-kehidupan.blogspot.com/2012/08/bedah-buku-wahai-anakku-ayyuhal-walad.html

    Wahai Anakku sebenarnya merupakan surat yang dibalas oleh Imam al-Ghazali kepada anak murid

    yang disayanginya. Murid tersebut meminta nasihat-nasihat khusus daripada Imam al-Ghazali untuk

    dirinya (murid itu) sendiri. Murid tersebut terdorong untuk meminta nasihat khusus kerana

    merasakan terlalu banyak ilmu yang dituntutnya daripada Imam sehinggakan tidak tahu yang mana

    satu hendak diamalkan dalam kehidupannya. Oleh itu, kompilasi nasihat itu dikirim oleh Imam

    kepada anak muridnya dalam Bahasa Parsi, yang kemudiannya diterjemahkan oleh ulama

    terkemudian ke dalam bahasa Arab.

  • Dalam salah satu syarahan oleh Ustaz Raja Ahmad Mukhlis, beliau menceritakan tentang peristiwa

    perutusan surat antara anak murid dengan Imam al-Ghazali. Seorang guru tidak akan terus

    menjawab persoalan-persoalan anak muridnya. Sebaliknya, seorang guru akan memulakan

    jawapannya dengan menjawab persoalan utama di hati murid yang menyebabkan timbulnya

    persoalan-persoalan kecil yang lain.

    Ustaz Raja Ahmad Mukhlis memberikan syarahan ringkas melalui perspektif Imam al-Ghazali, Wahai

    anakku. Kalau kau menuntut ilmu kerana semata-mata untuk menambah ilmu atau kefahaman,

    maka memang tak akan habis dituntut ilmu di muka bumi ini. Tapi kalau kau menuntut ilmu kerana

    hendak mengamalkannya, nescaya kau tak akan merasa ilmu itu banyak.

    Imam Hasan al-Banna, pengasas gerakan Ikhwan Muslimin, turut sependapat dengan Imam al-

    Ghazali. Beliau mencatat di dalam diarinya yang diberi nama Detik-detik Hidupku (versi BM) ,

    Menurut Imam al-Ghazali, manusia hanya perlu mendapat pendidikan setakat yang perlu untuk

    menunaikan kewajipan agama danmencari nafkah hidup, kemudian membuat amal-

    ibadat dan jangan membuang waktu. (m.s.66)

    Buku Wahai Anakku sememangnya sebuah buku yang ringkas, bahkan boleh dihabiskan

    pembacaannya dalam tempoh sehari. Namun di sebalik kandungannya yang ringkas, terkandung

    nasihat-nasihat yang berbentuk teras (fundamental) bagi setiap orang Islam.

    B. Ringkasan Nasihat Imam al-Ghazali

    Di sini, penulis kongsikan bersama ringkasan kata-kata Imam al-Ghazali yang menyentuh hati

    penulis:

    Memberi nasihat itu mudah. Menerima isi nasihat tersebut sangat pahit bagi siapa yang selalu

    mengikuti kehendak hawa nafsunya. Nafsu sangat mencintai perkara-perkara yang dilarang.

    Ilmu itu belum dapat menjadmin keselamatanmu di akhirat kelak. Segala senjata itu baru

    bermanfaat apabila ianya digunakan oleh tuan empunya senjata itu. Rahmat Allah itu dekat dengan

    hamba-hambaNya yang berbuat baik. Maka siapa yang mengharap akan bertemu Tuhannya, maka

    hendaklah dia melakukan alaman soleh. (al-Kahfi:110)

    Wajib ke atas seorang salik (menjalani jalan akhirat) untuk menyempurnakan 4 macam perkara:

    1) Itiqad yang benar : aqidah Ahlus-Sunnah Wal-Jamaah

    2) Taubat nasuha : tidak kembali kepada dosa-dosa lalu

    3) Halal : minta dihalalkan segala macam perkara yang diterima daripada makhluq

    4) Ilmu Syariah & Ilmu Akhirat : Ilmu Syariah untuk menunaikan perintah Allah, Ilmu Akhirat

    untuk menjamin keselamatan di akhirat.

    Peranan seorang guru terhadap muridnya diumpakan dengan peranan seorang petani terhadap

    tanamannya

  • Seorang yang menempuh jalan akhirat perlukan seorang guru yang mursyid. Kerja seorang guru

    seperti seorang petani yang membuang duri dan mencabut rumput di celah-celah tanamannya.

    Tanaman akan hidup segar dan menghasilkan hasil yang sempurna.

    Sifat-sifat guru mursyid ialah dia seorang yang:

    1) zuhud : berpaling daripada mencintai dunia dan pangkat.

    2) berguru dengan guru mursyid : Telah berguru dengan gurunya yang juga guru mursyid, gurunya

    juga berguru dengan guru mursyid, sehingga wujud salasilah guru mursyid yang sampai kepada

    Rasulullah S.A.W.

    3) berjaya didik dirinya sendiri : Terlihat pada perbuatan guru yang sedikit: makan; cakap; tidur,

    dan banyak: solat; sedekah; berpuasa.

    4) berakhlaq mulia : Kesan daripada berguru dengan gurunya yang mursyid, sang guru itu mampu

    menjadikan akhlaq mulia sebagai cara hidupnya.

    Adab-adab zahir dengan guru adalah:

    1) jangan bertengkar dan berhujah dengannya.

    2) jangan bersegera meletakkan kain sejadah di hadapannya (kecuali waktu hendak solat).

    3) jangan memperbanyak solat sunat di hadapannya.

    4) amalkan suruhan Syaikh (guru) mengikut kadar kemampuan.

    Adab-adab batin dengan guru adalah:

    1) jika menerima nasihat Syaikh secara zahir (berdepan), maka hendaklah juga menerima secara

    batin (dalam hati).

    2) menjauhi daripada bersahat dengan orang-orang yang jahat.

    Pati ilmu tasauf ada dua, seorang sufi adalah mereka yang ada dua perkara ini yakni :

    1) istiqomah : tetap pendirian dalam mengorbankan kehendak nafsunya untuk mendapatkan

    keindahan peribadi.

    2) baik kelakuan dengan makhluq : tidak memaksa manusia menuruti kehendaknya, sebaliknya

    dirinya sendiri dipaksa untuk menuruti kehendak manusia yang lain (selagi tak menyalahi syara).

    Hakikat ubudiah (kehambaan) ada 3, iaitu:

    1) syariat : Menjaga hukum-hakam Syariat

    2) redha : Redha dengan qada dan qadar Allah.

    3) nafi diri : Keredhaan Allah lebih diutamakan walaupun terpaksa mengorbankan kesenangan

    peribadi.

  • C. Penutup

    Pada pandangan peribadi saya, buku ini sesuai untuk mereka yang:

    1) banyak persoalan-persoalan mengenai kehidupan. Persoalan-persoalan kecil hanyalah kesan

    daripada persoalan utama yang tidak terjawab. Nasihat Imam al-Ghazali bersifat menjurus kepada

    menjawab persoalan utama yang menghasilkan pelbagai persoalan-persoalan kecil. Oleh itu,

    apabila terjawabnya persoalan utama maka terungkailah pelbagai persoalan-persoalan kecil.

    2) berjinak-jinak mengenali ilmu tasauf. Buku ini merupakan antara silibus pengenalan kepada ilmu

    tasauf (ilmu berkaitan kerohanian / hati / kejiwaan). Membaca kandungan buku ini sebenarnya

    sudah mencukupi untuk memahami isi nasihat utama Imam al-Ghazali. Walaubagaimanapun, yang

    terbaik adalah seorang murid mendapatkan seorang guru untuk bertalaqqi (membaca bersama-

    sama gurunya) untuk mendapatkan syarahan yang lebih mudah difahami, menyentuh hati-sanubari

    serta memberi kesan kepada amal.

    3) keseluruhan umat Islam secara umumnya.

    Moga-moga pembaca semua mendapat manfaat daripada ulasan ringkas ini. Wallahu alam. Segala

    yang baik datangnya daripada Allah, yang buruk itu adalah daripada kelemahan dan kekurangan al-

    Faqir sendiri.

    Tuah Rizki

    (Tuah Rizki Sufinix)

    15 Ogos 2012, 26 Ramadhan 1433H Rabu

    AL-GHAZALI'S THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

    This is a paper written as a partial fulfillment to the requirement of History of Islamic Philosophy

    subject. Any citation is allowed as long as it does not breach the rules and ethics, and please do not

    plagiarise.

    Abu Hamid Muhammad Ibn Muhammad Al-Ghazl was born in 1058, inus, Persia, near the

    modern Meshad in eastern Iran. His family was Persian, of modest means, had a reputation for

    learning, and displayed an open tendency towards Sufism. Al-Ghazls father died while he was

    very young; a friend of his fathers who was also a mystic (Sufi) raised al-Ghazl and his brother

    (Latefah, 2001).

    As he was a theologian, jurist, philosopher and Sufi mystic, al-Ghazl is a towering figure in the

    history of Islam and a pivotal thinker within its philosophical tradition. He is often blamed

    somewhat hyperbolically- for bringing Islamic philosophy to an ultimate end (Groff & Leaman, 2007).

  • The eventful life of al-Ghazlcan be divided into three major periods. The first was the period of

    learning; first in his home town of us in Persia, then in Gurgan and finally in Nishapur. After the

    death of his teacher, Imm al-aramayn Al-Juwayn (the great Asharite theologian), al-

    Ghazl moved to the court of Nizam al-Mulk, the powerful vizir of the Seljuq Sultans, who

    eventually appointed him head of the Nizamiyyah College at Baghdad in AH 484/AD 1091 (Kojiro,

    2008).

    The second period of al-Ghazls life was his brilliant career as the highest-ranking orthodox

    doctor of the Islamic community in Baghdad (AH 484-8/AD 1091-5). This period was short but

    significant. During this time, as well as lecturing on Islamic jurisprudence at the College, he was also

    busy refuting heresies and responding to questions from all segments of the community (Kojiro,

    2008).

    During this productive period he wrote The Intentions of the Philosophers(Maqid al-Falsifa),

    which offered a clear, accurate exposition of the mashshaior Peripatetic philosophers (first and

    foremost, IbnSina). This was soon followed by his monumentally important Incoherence of the

    Philosophers (Tahfut al-Falsifa), which critiqued twenty of their most problematic claims. (Groff &

    Leaman, 2007)

    After four years of teaching in Baghdad, al-Ghazl underwent a profound spiritual crisis that led him

    to question the validity of both sense experience and reason and even temporarily rendered him

    unable to speak. Finally, he renounced his academic career and worldly ambitions and left Baghdad

    (Groff & Leaman, 2007).

    This event marked the beginning of the third period of his life, that of retirement (AH 488-505/AD

    1095-1111), but which also included a short period of teaching at the Nizamiyyah College in

    Nishapur. After leaving Baghdad, he wandered as a Sufi in Syria and Palestine before returning

    to us, where he was engaged in writing his spiritual autobiography, The Deliverance from Error (al-

    Munqidh min al-all), Sufi practices and teaching his disciples until his death. (Kojiro, 2008)

    In his work -Al-Munqidh min al-all-, al-Ghazl detailed his quest for certain knowledge about

    reality, which led him from theology to philosophy to the esotericism of the Ismilis to Sufi

    mysticism. Like his earlier engagement with philosophy, al-Ghazls mystical turn had wide-ranging

    and complementary effects. On the one hand, his sober, responsible appropriation of Sufism made

    mysticism respectable in the eyes of orthodox traditionalists; on the other, it helped to revitalize the

    stultified Islam of his time. Al-Ghazls magnum opus,Revival of the Religious Sciences (Iya Ulm

    al-Dn) exemplifies this mutual enrichment (Groff & Leaman, 2007).

    Knowledge : General Discussion

    Knowledge is one of the most important themes in Islam. Islam put knowledge on the highest stage;

    a very special place. In Islamic point of view, knowledge is from God and revelation (wahy). It is

    proved by evidence from Qurnic verse in Srah al-Alaq: 1:

  • .......

    This verse is the first revelation and commandment of Allah to the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). This

    verse stands for reads in the name of Allah. The termiqra or read connotes the importance of

    seeking knowledge for the sake of Allah. Knowledge is not a new thing, it is not an alien subject as

    knowledge has been known and shared even with the creation of the first man, Adam as. Allah

    taught Prophet Adam the name of the things in this world. It is mentioned on Surah al-Baqarah verse

    31: And He taught Adam the nature of all things: then He placed them before the Angels and said,

    tell me the nature of these if ye are right.

    Besides, Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also concerned about knowledge. He highlighted the need and

    urgency of acquiring knowledge in several hadiths. The Prophets saying: Knowledge is to be

    acquired from birth (cradle) to death and Pursuit knowledge is an incumbent duty of man and

    woman, shows that acquisition of knowledge is the duty of all believers (Qadir, 1988).

    Greek philosophy was also concerned about knowledge and called them as epistemology which

    means science of knowledge.

    Knowledge in Arabic term isilm and it directly means knowledge. The termilm has been used

    repetitively in Qurn and adth as referring to knowledge. In addition, there are also several terms

    in Qurn that carry the meaning and concept of knowledge such as book (kitb), pen (qalam), ink

    (Groof & Leaman, 2007).

    The wordilm is also one of the terms used to refer to Islamic Philosophy besides marifah, hikmah,

    falsafah and kalam. Islamic philosophers were also talked about knowledge, for instance al-

    Frab who was famous with his classification of knowledge. Then, al-Kind also declared that

    knowledge is virtue and the final aim of philosophy is morality and man can have knowledge of right

    and wrong through reason (Majid,1983).

    Al-Ghazl is one of the philosophers who has a deep interest in the subject of knowledge. He

    began his famous writing; Ihy Ulm al-Dn, with the chapter; The Book of knowledge (Kitb al-

    Ilm). In the introduction part, he stated that he opened his book with a chapter about

    knowledge (bb al-ilm) because the harvest of good knowledge is to fear God and become pious

    (Latefah, 2001). Al-Ghazali (in Gianotti, 2000) wrote:

    I began the whole thing with the Book of Knowledge because it is of the utmost importance.

    First of all, I do this in order that I make known the knowledge that is devoted to the words of His

    Prophet (May God bless him and grant him salvation), the [kind of knowledge that are] required to

    be sought. (To this effect), the Prophet (May God bless him and grant him salvation) said, the

    pursuit of knowledge is an obligation for every Muslim.*Secondly, I begin with this book] in order

    that I may distinguish the beneficial knowledge from the harmful, since the Prophet (May God bless

    him and grant him salvation) said, I seek refuge in God from knowledge that has no benefit, *All

    this is] in order that I correct the present generation in their inclination away from the way of what is

    right, in their willingness to be duped by glimmering phantoms and in their [total] contentment

    sciences *that treat+ the outer husk*rather than+ the essential core.

  • AL-GHAZALIS THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE

    Al-Ghazalis magnification of knowledge is obviously seen as he positioned The Book of

    Knowledge as the first, opening chapter of Ihya Ulum al-Din. This Book of Knowledge comprises of

    seven chapters; among them on the branches of knowledge. Al-Ghazali did not discuss on branches

    of knowledge just in this book, but also in his other writings, for instance al-Risalat al-

    Laduniyyah and al-Munqidh.

    In discussing the meaning of knowledge, al-Ghazali was in the same stance with his notable

    teacher, Imam al-Haramayn (Hamid, 2010). Knowledge, for al-Ghazali, is hard to be defined, but it

    could be explained by means of disjunction (qismah) and resemblance (mithal) ( Hamid, 2010;

    Mustafa, 1996). By disjunction it means classification, and by resemblance it connotes examples and

    references to other things to sign similarities. Al-Ghazali has given an example of scent of musk on

    what he meant by knowledge. He stated that the knowledge one has of the scent of a musk, cannot

    be defined, but one can distinguish it from other musk, can classify the musk in specific

    characteristics, and can give the example of other scent which is similar to the scent of the musk

    (Mustafa, 1996). In his Mi`yar, al-Ghazali stated that there is no meaning of knowledge except that

    of its being an image (mithal) that arrives in the soul, which conforms to that which is an image in

    sense perception, namely, the object known (Hamid, 2010).

    Latter scholars have synthesized al-Ghazalis classification of sciences or knowledge into four

    divisions, namely; 1) theoretical and practical parts, 2) presential (`Ilm Mukashafah)and acquired

    (`Ilm Husuli) knowledge, 3) religious (`Ulum Shar`iyyah) and intellectual (`Ulum Aqliyyah) sciences,

    and 4) individual (Fard `Ain) and community (Fard Kifayah) obligation (Osman, 2006). In this paper,

    the discussion will be mainly on the third division of al-Ghazalis classification of sciences; religious

    and intellectual sciences.

    This division was established upon the distinction in sources of the sciences. It is quite clear to

    note that religious sciences sources are Quran, Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) or prophetic

    tradition, Ijma or consensus of the Community, andathar al-sahabah or the traditions of the

    Companions as al-Ghazali wrote in Ihya, (knowledge) which have been acquired from the prophets

    and are not arrived at either by reason, like arithmetic, or experimentation, like medicine, or by

    hearing, like language (p. 30), while intellectual sciences are derived from human reasoning and

    intellectual process and is aided by sense perception.

    Both religious sciences and intellectual sciences have been put under the larger branch of

    community obligation (fard kifayah) in Ihya. Unlike any Western philosophers who separate

    between Divine knowledge and rational knowledge, al-Ghazali integrates between these two

    knowledge or sciences.

    Religious sciences, in al-Ghazalis classification, are then divided into four sub-categories

    according to their importance in practicing religious teaching (Latefah, 2001, p.106); science of

    fundamental principles (usul), science of branches or derived principles (furu`), auxiliary

    (muqaddimat), and supplementary (mutammimat). The first category, usul, talks about the

    fundamental principles of religion and the sources of religious sciences. The fundamental principles

  • of religion are science of Divine Unity (`ilm al-tawhid), science of prophethood, eschatology and

    science of the sources of religious knowledge (Osman, 2006). The four sources of religious sciences

    as listed by al-Ghazali are Quran, Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) or prophetic

    tradition, Ijma or consensus of the Community, and athar al-sahabah or the traditions of the

    Companions (Nabih, 1962).

    The second category, furu`, consists of the sciences of the principles that are derived from the

    sources of religious knowledge. There are three principles in this category: 1) science of mans

    obligation to God, i.e. religious rites and worship (`ibadah), 2) science of mans obligation to society,

    i.e. transaction, contractual obligations especially family law (mu`amalah) , and 3) science of mans

    obligation to own soul, i.e. moral qualities (`ilm akhlaq) (Osman, 2006). All these sciences or

    knowledge are based on the revelation of Almighty God, and also the traditions and examples given

    by Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions.

    The third category, muqaddimat, is the important component in studying and understanding

    religious sciences (Nabih, 1962). It comprises of linguistic science and syntax, and science of writing

    (Osman, 2006). Without this knowledge, religious sciences would be hardly learned and

    comprehended.

    The fourth category in religious sciences is mutammimat, which act as the supplementary

    knowledge in further understanding and mastering religious sciences. Divisions in this category

    include Quranic sciences including the science of interpretation, the sciences of the prophetic

    traditions such as the science of authoritative transmission, the science of principles of

    jurisprudence (usul al-fiqh), and biography of the illustrious men and Companions (Osman, 2006).

    On the other hand, intellectual sciences are categorized into two; enumeration of intellectual

    sciences, and ethico-legal status of intellectual sciences (Osman, 2006). On the enumeration

    category, al-Ghazali proposed four types of intellectual sciences; 1)mathematics, which are

    arithmetic, geometry, astronomy and astrology, and music, 2) logics, 3) physics or the natural

    sciences, which are medicine, meteorology, mineralogy, alchemy, and 4) metaphysics, which

    includes ontology, knowledge of the divine essence, attributes and activities, and science of

    prophecy (Osman, 2006). The intellectual sciences were also viewed in three statuses that are linked

    with ethics. The first status, praiseworthy (mahmud) applied to the sciences that are essential to the

    communitys welfare, on whose knowledge the activities of this life depend such as medicine and

    arithmetic (Nabih, 2006). The second status, blameworthy (madhmuh) sciences are the sciences

    which have no benefit to the community and individual, and may also impose harm to the

    practitioners and others, for instance talisman and witchcraft. These sciences are in fact

    contradicting Islamic values (Osman, 2006). The third status, permissible (mubah) sciences are the

    neutral sciences that do not contradict Islamic values and can be tailored to the Islamic values, for

    instance philosophy and poetry. Al-Ghazali did not agree with visual art and images, however,

    because of the potential for idolization (Latefah, 2001, p.106)

  • AL-GHAZALI INFLUENCE ON LATER PHILOSOPHER

    As we have the later philosopher in the history of Islamic philosophy, Qutb al-Din was

    influenced by the former philosophers, to name some; al-Farabi and al-Ghazali. In this regard, the

    discussion will focus in depth on al-Ghazalis influence on al-Shirazi.

    Qutb a-Din al-Shirazi (636/1236-710/1311), one of the highly esteemed figures of the

    intellectual life of the Eastern lands of Islam during the late 7th/13th and early 8th/14th century,

    authored two major works in the field of philosophy that became popular- a commentary on Shihab

    al-Din al-Suhrawardis (executed 587/1991) Hikmat al-ishraq, that is written in Arabic, dedicated to

    the vizier Jamal al-Din Ali b. Muhammad al-Dastjirdani and completed in 694/1295, and an

    independent work written in Persian, Durrat al-taj li-ghurrat al-dubaj that was completed between

    693/1294 and 705/1306 (Reza & Sabine, 2004).

    In the Durrat al-taj, Qutb al-Din presents the following classification of the sciences: the

    philosphical sciences (ulum hikmiy) and the non-philosophical sciences (ulum ghayr hikmiy). The

    philosophical sciences were divided into the theoretical (nazariy) and the practical (amaliy). The

    theoretical philosophical science consists of metaphysics, mathematics, natural sciences, and logic.

    These theory was influenced by al-Ghazalis theory of knowledge under his divisions of intellectual

    sciences. For practical philosophical sciences, it was consists of ethics, economics, and politics

    (Osman, 2006).

    In his theoretical divisions, al-Shirazi divided into four branches of sciences which is metaphysics,

    mathematics, natural sciences and logic. For his metaphysics, it was consists of two major parts, that

    is divine science (ilm-i ilahi) and first philosophy (falsafah-i ula), and at least three minor parts. The

    three minor parts mentioned by him are the science of prophethood (nubuwwah), the science of

    religious authority (imamah) and eschatology. This inclusion of minor branches was a feature of al-

    Ghazalis religious sciences (Osman, 2006).

    For mathematics sciences, he divides into four major branches and nine minor ones; major

    branches consist of geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music. Meanwhile his minor branches

    consist of optics, algebra, the science of weights, surveying, the science of calculation, mechanical

    engineering, the science of the balance, the science of astronomical tables and calendars, and the

    science of irrigation. His major branches were totally inspired by al-Ghazalis mathematics division

    but not the minor one since al-Ghazali did not use the same concept as al-Shirazi. Al-Shirazi classified

    his sciences using his own concept, major and minor. It was described that al-Shirazis concept of

  • minor branches of mathematics is based upon the consideration that those branches are

    subdivisions of the major branches (Osman, 2006, p.253).

    Besides that, al-Shirazis natural sciences were also divided into major and minor branches. But al-

    Ghazalis natural sciences only consist of medicine, meteorology, mineralogoy, and alchemy. Under

    al-Shirazi, both meteorology and mineralogy fall under major branches. While alchemy and medicine

    fall under minor branches. Basically he was inspired by al-Ghazalis branches of natural sciences but

    he tends to divide them according to his own concept. In his division of the science of logic, al-

    Shirazi follows the traditional Muslim Perapatetic division into the nine books of the Organon

    (Osman, 2006, p.256).

    In conclusion, al-Ghazali is one of the most prominent philosophers in Muslim and Western

    intellectual world. He has given enormous contributions to the intellectual world, including the

    theory of knowledge that he has proposed. He is also the first philosopher to integrate between

    religious and intellectual sciences. Based upon al-Ghazalis discussion on knowledge, it can be seen

    that he has outlined a very great structure of epistemology, including the ethics and etiquette of

    seeking knowledge. The practicality of its theory should be taken into consideration and applied

    especially in this modern world, to develop and strengthen the intellectual endeavor of Muslim

    community, thus cultivate the intellectuals who will serve the Ummah.

    Reference

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    * This paper has been written by a group of four students from an international university in

    Malaysia and published here by one of the group members.