ABSTRACT
The concluding section discusses Ghazālī’s brand of scepticism as different to the universal scepticism of the Greek sceptical schools. Ghazālī’s scepticism was aimed at seeking the truth and attaining certainty. Through it, he critiqued the various schools of thought of his time, scrutinised the sources of knowledge, challenged heterodox doctrines, and established the foundations of knowledge. This section points to the importance of Ghazālī as a transitional figure in Islamic intellectual history influencing the kalām, falsafa/ḥikma, and Sufi traditions. Ghazālī tamed philosophy, laying bare its limitations while he underlined Sufism as a superior means to certainty. He harmonised these two disciplines, synthesising the surety of the philosophical path with the greater luminosity and certainty of the mystical path. Ghazālī seamlessly integrated reason and spiritual observance within Islam without compromising the Quranic world view. In a sophisticated manner, he bridged the exoteric and esoteric traditions of Islam, embracing its traditional and spiritual dimensions. Ghazālī adopted the truth no matter its source. He synthesised traditions with disparate voices, and took what is universal and consistent with the Quranic Weltanschauung and applied it towards his own purpose.
