IMAM GHAZALI’S

THOUGHTS AND
PHILOSOPHY OF Islamic
Philosophy
EDUCATION
 CONTENTS:

 INTRODUCTION
 ERA OF GHAZALI
 VIEWS ON KNOWLEDGE
 EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY
 CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT
 AIM OF EDUCATION
 TEACHER-STUDENT RELATION
 FEMALE EDUCATION
 PHYSICAL EDUCATION
 CONCLUSION
 INTRODUCTION:

 BORN: 1058 AD – TOUS – KHURASAN – IRAN

 DIED: 19 th DEC , 1111 AD – TOUS – IRAN
 TITLE: HUJJAT-UL-ISLAM (i.e: THE HONIRIFIC)
 ERA: Islamic Golden Age
 ROLE: THEOLOGIAN, JURIST , PHILOSOPHER , MYSTIC
 MILE STONES: >AL-MUNQUDEEN-AL-DALAAL
(i.e:38years of studies on different schools)
>AHYA-E-ULOOM ISLAM
(Revival of Islamic Knowledge)
>TAHAFAT-UL-FILASAFA
(Incoherence of Philosophy)
 KNOWLEDGE EXISTS
POTENTIALLY IN HUMAN
SOUL JUST LIKE THE SEED IN
SOIL, BY LEARNING THE
POTENTIAL BECOMES
ACTUAL…….. (AL-GHAZALI)
 THE AGE OF GHAZALI: (ERA OF EXPERIENCE)

“ The truth of Islam was believed in the first stage, in the

second stage it was understood ,and in the third stage it
was to be experienced.”

 1 st stage: people believed what they were told.

 2 nd stage: people rediscovered things on the basis of
reason and eyes of intellect.
 3 rd stage: people experience through real experiences.

(GHAZALI MARKED 3 RD STAGE AS THE STAGE OF

SIGNIFICANT IMPORTANCE)
 ILM-AL-YAQEEN, AIN-AL-YAQEEN AND
HAQQ-UL-YAQEEN:GHAZALI'S VIEWS ON
KNOWLEDGE:
He, in accordance with the Holy Quran, says that knowledge
comes to us in three dif ferent stages:
 Ilm-al-Yaqeen:
The initial stage is the stage of faith. He calls this stage ilm-al
yaqeen. By ilm-al-yaqeen, he means that if an authentic
person tells something to a person, and he believes in the
veracity of that news, without confirming it either by senses
or by reason.
E.g:
Prophet(s.a.w) gathered the people of Mecca and said to them
that if he says that there is an army behind the mountain
would they believe it? The people replied, yes, because of the
simple reason that Prophet(s.a.w) was famed as
Amin(Trustworthy) and Sadiq(The truthful).
 Aina-al-yaqeen:
The second stage is to see through one’s inner eyes or reason,
or with one’s senses the truth of what was reported to him.
This stage is called Aina-al-yaqeen.
E.g:
Ain-al-Yaqeen means that if somebody has told a person that
there is a fire behind the wall, the person after believing him
without seeing the fact, finally himself come across the fact
and attests through his knowing faculties, the truth of what was
reported to him.
 Haqq-ul-Yaqeen:
This is the highest stage of knowledge, and this means not only
to see the fire, but also to feel it. Haqq-ul-yaqeen is the stage of
experience; it is the knowledge through experience.
EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF GHAZALI:
FARZ-E-AIN AND FARZ-E-KIFAYA:

 Ghazali also included these ideas of purification of heart and

following of Shariya in his educational thought .

 However, even then his educational philosophy, despite its

metaphysical commitments, remains thoroughly practical and
realistic.

 Ghazali divided his curriculum in two parts;

Farz-e- Ain and Farz-e-Kifaya.
 FARZ-E-AIN AND FARZ-E-KIFAYA:

Farz-e-Ain: Farz-e-Kifaya:
 It is the compulsory, or  On the other hand is
the early or elementary the economic and
educational curriculum. practical part of
education; through
 Compulsory part. acquiring the
knowledge of the
subjects related to Farz-
e-Kifaya.
 Optional subjects:
(further divided into
religious & wordly)
 Farz-e-Ain: Farz-e-Kifaya:
 Farz-e-Ain comprises,  On the other hand, farz-
Tenets of the Quran, e-Kifaya included all
Hygiene, Logic and, optional subjects
reading of the Quran. including architect,
tafseer, fiqh(Law and
Jurisprudence) etc. farz-
e-Ain is the early
socialization part of
education.
 Farz-e-Ain: Farz-e-Kifaya:
 Farz-e-ain is meant to  People could earn their
teach young people how living.
to live their lives in the
Islamic society, and
how to socialize
themselves properly.
 GHAZALI’S AIM OF EDUCATION:

 Ghazali raises the basic question whether the human instinct

is based on good or evil. He has presented his ideas in the
light of Quran and Hadith .

 According to him good or evil are not physical and is not

instinctual. Humans can be transformed by education and
training.

 According to Ghazali, there are four categories of Knowledge:

>Prophetic
>Rulers
>Philosophers/scholars
>Preachers
 TEACHER – STUDENT RELATIONSHIP:

 Ghazali was not in favor of enforcing education on the children

and like Plato he was also of the view that education should be
given only through motivation .

 He opposed any act from the teacher that could result in

creating ill dispositions towards learning in the children . Avoid
dual standards.

 Although Ghazali was against corporeal punishment and any sort

of coersion in education, his views are considered by some
traditionalist educators as liscence for giving thrashings to their
students.(judge students potential-all are not same)

 This attitude was never attested or recommended by Ghazali, he

had never liked any kind of misbehavior with children.
 FEMALE EDUCATION:

 Ghazali ’s ideas about female education are dif ferent from

modern day.

 He is only in favor of elementary education for women so that

they could play their due role in society.

 He is not in favor of higher education for females.

 Ghazali also stresses acquisition of home -related knowledge

for women.
 PHYSICAL EDUCATION:

 Ghazali has greatly stressed the physical education for

children. He believes in old Greek axiom “ sound mind in
sound body”.

 He suggests proper clothing for children so that they could

develop and grow properly. He suggests avoid tight and fit
clothing.

 He also stresses the importance of good and simple, diet for

good physical growth.
 CONCLUSION:

 Ghazali was a great Muslim educationalist who presented

many theories of education methods and curriculum.

 He suggested type of education that enables learner to be a

good individual at first and then to be a good professional.

 He emphasizes on personal experience based learning and

gave importance to teacher -pupil relation. According to him
that is what builds a child.

 What ever he presented long ago is now implemented.

 What western educators have proposed was actually

originated by GHAZALI’S school of thought.
THANK YOU 